Martin Oliver asks me this interesting question: ' If you were German or had moved to Germany and integrated (as I vaguely remember you saying you might do if you were younger), how would you feel about the EU? As an advocate of the nation state, would you support the EU as a (relatively) benevolent mechanism for advancing German interests, while understanding why the British might wish to leave, or would you still abhor the EU because of its globalism?

There may be a difference between what I would think, and what I hope I would think. Any intelligent, civilised patriotic German has to cope with the fact that his or her country can never behave again as it behaved between 1933 and 1945, internally or externally.

There is much to admire about German culture and civilisation, but the Hitler period lies across all that, an irremoveable stain, because most thoughtful Germans grasp that Hitlerism is pretty specifically German. Most cultures could create a hell on earth in the same circumstances, but it would be a different sort of hell.

So, just as a French patriot must recognise that his country's Napoleonic era will never return, and it must accede to German domination of the continent, a German patriot must concede that his country's future power and prosperity cannot be advanced by aggressive nationalism. I suspect this has led to the adoption by sensible Germans of the liberal nationalism pioneered by Naumann, which takes the form of domination diluted by limited sovereignty for the dominated countries, and disguised by the acceptance of symbolic nationalism (flags, anthems, powerless parliaments, toy monarchies etc) which allow the semblance of independence.

Naumannn was the ancestor of the Free Democrats, the party of Hans-Dietrich Genscher, for many years German Foreign Minister, a tireless fixer who was really the architect of post Cold War Europe.

All this seems perfectly reasonable to me. Proper sovereignty is only available to those who are ready to defend it at all costs, and most continental nations (with the sole exception of Russia, though Switzerland's case is more complex) recognise that Germany can best be contained and calmed by giving in to her on all major matters, from frontiers to law, free movement and currency.

Britain's case *was* different in 1972. At that stage, it was still possible for her to maintain her sovereignty. It was also desirable because her precious legal system was virtually unique and far superior to the Continental one, and her economy was largely turned away from Europe, thanks to her history. It was a mistake, politically and economically, for us to join the Common Market. I believe it was largely forced upon us by the USA, which has had, since 1916, a strong interest in creating a unified Europe in which war has been made highly unlikely.

Now, after more than 40 years of salami-slicing, I'm not sure there's enough of us left to reinstate realistic sovereignty, though I think it msut be worth a try. Certainly the horror stories about unemployment, job losses etc if we leave are phantasmal tripe. Trade with the EU would barely be affected, and might even improve. And in a vastly-expanded EU, our votes on EU bodies can be of little concern to Germany. Were I a German, I hope I would have the sense to regard Britain's initial membership as a mistake, largely irrelevant to the EU but damaging for the United Kingdom, and her possible departure from the EU as a matter of indifference.