We are told that the great binding factor of a team is that any threat to its existence must come from without rather than from within. Although healthy competition can exist within the team the aim must be for the team to distinguish itself rather than any individual member. Europe as a concept and as a reality has always drawn its strength from its relationship to the rest of the world. For a long time it was merely a vague geographical entity associated with the ancient civilisations around the northern Mediterranean, gradually becoming more distinct as more territories were discovered and became part of public awareness. The Roman Empire and its successor, the Christian Church and the Holy Roman Empire, did much to establish its presence in the minds of medieval Europeans, their consciousness of their Europeaness becoming more acute as Europe was threatened by invaders from outside. In spite of power struggles between individual states, the Crusades acted as a great unifying force. When that threat diminished, the unity of Europe also disintegrated only to reassemble in times of crisis and, in more modern times, because of the economic threat constituted by other world powers. Self-preservation and a will to dominate are powerful factors in team creation so one can but hope that the present unification process will continue so that eventually the whole of Europe will become a single state.
The previous issues of EUROPA have also shown the value of teamwork. All have been devoted to a given theme and based upon contributions from a group of individuals. This number and many of the future numbers will be devoted to a less specific theme. It provides an opportunity to bring together some of the wide spectrum of elements which make up the rich fabric of European civilisation. This is an essential part of our editorial policy which is to provide the reader with both detailed and more general analyses of aspects of European life and culture. One of our early readers made the telling comment that he was looking to EUROPA for articles that would cement our concept of being Europeans rather than ones which would stress national differences. Although I can share this wish I believe that it is through our diversity that we can find our united strength. The various 'nations' that comprise Europe and the various regions into which those nations can be divided all possess a wealth of individual experience at all levels of their existence and it would not be right if we did not try to illuminate them and to share such experience with all those who not only live in Europe but also are outside of it and are looking for a greater understanding of what being a European actually means. The superficial differences between Scandinavians and Spaniards may be obvious but beneath the surface of language and social differences there is a far greater unity which comes from their having had a fairly common culture over the last centuries. In fact, I hope that through an examination of our Europeaness we may achieve a much clearer understanding of our relationship with the rest of the world. As Montaigne, at the end of the sixteenth century, once wrote, 'chaque homme porte la forme de l'humaine condition'.