In The Spirit of the Laws, published in 1748, the French philosopher Montesquieu argued that one of the main elements binding the Dutch provinces together was their resistance to the Spanish crown. Likewise, what unified Swiss cantons was resistance to the Holy Roman Empire.
A similar process is now underway in Europe as a result of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
In a Eurobarometer poll released in January, 72 percent of citizens living in the European Union said their country’s membership in the EU was beneficial. That is the highest score in a long time—Eurobarometer has been asking the same question since 2005. In 2010, just 50 percent
