Over the past century, Europe has transformed itself from a cacophony of diverse, at times violently confrontational nations and principalities, into a single, immense union stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to the foothills of the Urals. It’s served as a catalyst for the heights of creativity and the depths of depravity, all the while acting as a magnet—attracting millions of the world’s most desperate and disadvantaged, seeking the solace of democracy and the prospects of opportunity. But Europe today is becoming increasingly bleak, if hardly lacking for excitement and wealth. Armies of unemployed youths, crushing tax burdens, and anemic or negative growth has left large stretches of this continent gasping on life support. It is the nature of this urban, suburban, and rural landscape that we set out to explore in the Winter issue of World Policy Journal.
We begin with Big Question, a selection of European...