European Angst

What is ‘European Angst’? Is it the extension of ‘German Angst’ to a whole continent? The latter term is often used disparagingly to describe the German tendency to problematise, weigh up and hesitate, especially when reasons for this seem slight and insignificant. But European Angst has nothing to do with stereotypical overscrupulousness. It is a mass of powerful emotions which transcend national borders and therefore seemed a fitting title for a conference which was to address disturbing developments, including populism, extremism and Euroscepticism.