Europe divided

SIR – The Catalan separatist movement – like its equivalents in Scotland, Silesia, Transylvania and Venice – may be historical in origin, but its resurgence shouldn’t be a surprise. For 40 years the EU establishment has sought to undermine the nation state in favour of a pan-european solution.

This has eroded the hard-won federations of tribal interests that make up most European countries. It makes the independence of a microstate seem like a politically and economically viable solution.

It is a terrible irony that the EU, supposedly conceived to preserve peace in Europe, is actually contributing to its disintegration.

London W1