Definitions of the European Union in terms of " shared destiny " or as an expression of the " will to live together " recall the inspirations that led to the formation of nation-states in eighteenth century Europe. Can one think of the European Union in the same terms as nationstates? Can nation-state building be a " model " for the construction of a political Europe? Can the fact that European institutions are concerned to harmonize political, legal and cultural differences impelling the states to attempt to set a common " political agenda " be enough to conceive of the Union as a political community? (...).