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Moves to create a single European defence force come as the region embarks on a new phase of enlargement. So does this represent the ultimate challenge for federalism? And if so, could it kick‐start cooperation in other areas of mutual protection such as food safety and the environment?

The 56th annual edition of the Alpbach European Forum (EAF), my first visit there in fifteen years, had as its theme “The Future: Experience, Experiment, Design”. The EAF consumes the second fortnight of August in the Tyrolean mountain community of Alpbach, a delightful village tucked away in an Alpine valley just south of the Inn River and an hour’s drive east of Innsbruck. Alpbach’s evenings devoted to music and the arts round out busy daytime dialogues among leaders in politics, business and the economy, science‐technology, and the media – and there are plenty of challenging trails for hiking to offset the tedium of sitting in conference rooms. All in all, a nice place to think about what’s ahead.