What Next for Europe

The recent and most brutal evidence of a European clash of civilisations which we have recently witnessed in Norway is a new chapter in a worrying trend towards the introduction of the gun into affairs of immigration, integration and social inclusion. Europe has a long history of integrating different cultures into its lands, creating states containing many different ethnic groups and nationalities all living under the banner of Liberal Democracy but this latest attack has highlighted a key issue which Europe as a whole has failed to deal with. The post religious, post nationalist European ideals of what makes a nation-state are extremely vague with borders eroding and religion no longer a unifying factor, what is a Europe? Is there a European identity? Many who hold the view that Europe is white and Christian view the newly arrived non-white, non-Christian immigrants to their country as a major dilution of their sense of cultural identity. What’s worse is the perceived lack of action by certain Liberal governments, who seem content to appease the left wing and Brussels by allowing communities of foreign nationals to grow in their countries.  These actions, and the continued ‘War on Terror’ have stoked the fire of the rhetoric of the European right, whose members need not look too far back in history for their own inspiration, nor need we to see what they are capable of. What next for Europe, can we continue to ignore this problem or is it time to allow ourselves to take pride in having strong, yet inclusive, national identities once more. Or do we, like the USA, attempt to assimilate all by painting a stars and stripes on all new arrivals and making them American. Or do we, as some senior politicians have suggested, close the borders, instigate border controls, re-erect our fortresses and worry about our national identity only when this option has run it’s course?