I’ve recently been able to trace several of my German great-great-grandparents back to the 1500s (teh internets is an amazing thing). In the course of this work, I’ve had to learn a lot of history they didn’t have in school.
The EU is of course a completely artificial thing, the product of a forced alliance between the French and the Germans (forced by the events of 1914-1945). Nobody who was still alive in May of 1945 could contemplate a recurrence.
But, like all unnatural structures invented by modernists, it is inherently unstable. It is now in the stage of pretending (cf. Hans Christian Anderson), so that the PMs of various European states can descend the stairs at Schoenfeld to the strains of a military band playing Preußens Gloria (Prussia? I thought we abolished that?) while Frau Merkel explains what their budgets will be for the next five years, all the while believing in a Union of Equals.
In America, SHTF scenarios (quite accurately) revolve around the Zombie Apocalypse. For Europe, the concerns must hark back to the 1930s.
I know that young Germans, at least in terms of the face anyone can see, affirm the “We are all Europeans now” end of die Deutschefrage. Who could blame them?
I also know that at the 1984 Olympics, the residents of Sarajevo affirmed “we are all Yugoslavs now”.
A lot can change in a little time, especially if you adhere to a circular, as opposed to a progressive or linear view of history.
In the 1930's, we had Communists and their captive trade unionists rioting in the streets of Europe, with the governments unwilling to do anything about it. Finally the middle class in Germany elected somebody who WAS willing to do something to restore order.
Now, it's the Muslims and the Leftists rioting in the streets, the money is once again looking like it will turn worthless, the middle-class is seeing lots of unemployment, especially among their children. When they turn to somebody who is willing to bust heads to restore order, what will it look like this time?