A rich analysis of the 'national question' in nine major European countries. It reaffirms that 'nation' is an ideological construct and that 'nationalism' is a distinctly political programme. The resilience of nationalism in contemporary Europe may seem paradoxical at a time when the nation state is widely seen as being "in decline." Why should so many movements across the continent be seeking to preserve or replicate a mode of political organization whose efficacy and legitimacy is increasingly open to doubt? Challenged from above by the supranational imperatives of globalism and from below by the complex pluralism of modern societies, less and less are able to "deliver the goods" in terms of policy or to provide the primary focus for social identity, the nation state faces an uncertain future.