ABSTRACT
The post-2008 banking crisis, the Greek bailout, the refugee crisis since 2015, the rise of authoritarian populist parties, and Brexit reveal a continent in crisis. The crisis of Europe and the crisis of the national state are expressions of a more general crisis in political community. The chapter argues that the nation is no longer able to deliver social justice without connecting with a larger sense of political community. Europeans are divided in various ways, socially, culturally, and politically. Many of these divisions result from differences, but not all differences lead to conflicts. The European heritage is a carrier of such ideas, which should not be seen as unifying master narratives, but as reference points that will often have different interpretations. The European heritage is a carrier of such ideas, which should not be seen as unifying master narratives, but as reference points that will often have different interpretations.
