For Thomas Ferenczi, the federalist spirit of Europe has run out of steam

Columnist Thomas Ferenczi notes that the idea of a Europe that preserves "national sovereignties" has replaced the project to break nation-states' monopoly of political legitimacy. "The debates between the 27 on a new institutional treaty confirm that the European idea has run out of steam. Under pressure from eurosceptics, who strengthen this determinism, the Union moves away, little by little, from the federalist spirit. The new generation of leaders on the old continent willingly assume this evolution. Nicolas Sarkozy in particular, considers the European institutions as an instrument of co-operation between governments. ... The Europe that is being developed is different from the one which the federalists dreamed of. This is what is believed by those who don't renounce the idea of an overarching authority. But today, these people are a minority."

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