Over the past few years, one major theme has remained persistently and ominously on the political agenda like no other: Europe. On closer inspection, however, the main issue is the continued existence of the European Union and the European currency. Neither of the two can be equated with Europe, nor will a European identity emerge automatically from a common currency, no matter how important it may be as a bonding agent. This identity can only be derived from the culture of the continent, of which Judeo-Christian, Greek and Latin antiquity are just as much a part as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and even Modernity, which is determined by natural sciences and technology. This common traditional stock, which is threatened time and again, forms the foundation for democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
