When a Scotsman wears a kilt, or a Frenchman sings the Marseillaise, it seems reasonable to put it all down to strong nationalist feeling. Scotland and France are among the oldest nations in Europe, and most people can recognize instantly the symbols and characteristics that are associated with them because they are so often manifested.

But what does nationalist feeling amount to in Europe today, in political and social terms? Is Europe not at the end of the "era of nationalism" and at the start of an era of supranational unity? The European Economic Community has been enlarged this year with the addition of Britain, Ireland and Denmark, and it is possible to look forward to a sort of federal "United States of Europe" within the next couple of decades.