But it then very soon became clear that the response of a war against terrorism, initially conceived of in a metaphorical sense, began to be taken increasingly seriously and came to entail waging a real war.

Europe itself is an embodiment of this diversity.

Electronic communication makes possible what has previously been excluded: namely, active, simultaneous and reciprocal contact between individuals across all frontiers constituted by countries, religions and continents.

You cannot make peace with terrorists. The normal dividing lines between war and peace do not apply.

Nonetheless, we continue to be obsessed with finding or inventing a European nation which, as in the nation state, guarantees homogeneity and thus an appropriate form of democracy and centralized government.

Initially, the horrific images of September 11th triggered an enormous wave of solidarity.

The world has become so complex that the idea of a power in which everything comes together and can be controlled in a centralized way is now erroneous.