Jim,
regional independence movements are growing everywhere in Europe. Never before was the EU met with so much disgust and antipathy like today. The Euro is unable to surivive and succeed, it will collapse. The closer the final act of the EU, the more bitter and sharper the conflict between the people will become. We can already see it happening. Those being bailed out the most criticize the loudest. In the end, everybody will only be angrily trying to hide his own lies and failings and weaknesses over which he feels so miserable. It's one of the bad human traits: we accuse others over our own failures. We break a glass in the kitchen - and start a mental argument with somebody in our heads.
Catfish,
the German citizens' understanding of what states are, is unique in Europe, and I would add: uniquely misled. It's a bit more complex than just: the EU grows, so national states must decline.
I think I set it up before somewhere, not sure, but anyway, i do it again. This text, a book excerpt, gives some historic background reflection on Germans' political attitude. I find it extremely hard to overestimate the importance of what it says.
It is in GERMAN LANGUAGE.
LINK
A highly, highly recommendable book, btw. History in the first half, pure dynamite in the second.