The ongoing Euro crisis, along with the half-hearted and often populist reactions from politics, makes the failure of the European project seem like a real possibility at present. In his essay, Jürgen Habermas defends Europe against the spreading skepticism, presenting a new compelling narrative for the history and, above all, the future of the European Union. He clears away mental blockages regarding the transnationalization of democracy by placing the unification process in the long-term context of the legal regulation and civilizing of state power. Finally, Jürgen Habermas appeals to politics to transform the European project, which has so far been conducted behind closed doors, into a more open and vigorous public debate.