Quali Stati e quali Nazioni nell'Unione europea del XXI secolo

This contribution traces the evolution of the notion of state and nation in the European political and social space. The identity of the state and the nation is no longer an element of progress, but, as the experience of the 20th century has shown, it has be- come an element of conservation that tends to be a danger to the peace and stability of the European peoples. With an even more paradoxical effect: while the rest of the world organises itself into continental political entities, with interests and capacity for inter- vention commensurate with this scale, Europe still appears to be prey to nationalist prejudices that, although they have changed their name, remain linked to the legacy of two centuries ago. The development of the European Union, politically as well as economically, is closely linked to the cultural and political over- coming of the nationalist conditioning that is still present and influential today.