To better understand the European Union and its likely prospects for the future, it is important to delve into the relationship between its two main players: France and Germany.  In many ways, their relationship since the founding of the E.U. has seemed like a happy marriage.  But as in some marriages, there are a number of irreconcilable difference percolating below the surface that could well lead to trouble down the road. The most significant point of divergence is perhaps how each country views the meaning of "Europe."  The Germans – and not just their elite, but much of the general public as well – are sold on the idea of a Europe free of nationalism.  Such an attitude is no doubt highly influenced to the unhappy ending to their WWII experience.  According to Wolfgang Streeck of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne, the concept of "Europe" has a sacred...(Read Full Article)