Europe's Old Question

Today is the WSJ is a story concerning hegemony in Europe. It's an interesting look at the views of Vaclav Klaus, the president of the Czech Republic.

Since the fall of the Roman Empire, actually a slow deterioration, politics in Europe have been dominated by who would claim and rule Europe. Charlemagne earned the title after much hard work by his ancestors, but weak progeny fell into infighting. The Germans under the tutelage of the Ottos reclaimed the throne just before the millenium, but the Moors reeked havoc and Norse invasions were the rule of the day. The French took several tries at it with the Sun King and Napoleon. The English, separated as they were from the mainland, even came close with Henry V at Agincourt, but that was a cultural thing. They eventually ruled the world, but not Europe. Heck, even the Spanish under the Hapsburgs (yes, a German/Swiss Family) had a grip on Europe at one time. The Swedes gave it a shot; it didn't last long. Lastly, Hitler tried to his and his people's utter destruction.

I've always thought that the European Union was partially an attempt to solve this problem. Why is it that people must be ruled from a central authority? And if the socialist model is really nothing more than the old feudal system warmed over as Frederick Hayek says in his book, The Road to Serfdom, are the Europeans returning to the scene of the crime? Obsessed to get right what has laid waste to whole countries and created wholesale slaughter, in the order of hundreds of millions.