The author approaches the case of the national State in our time basing his reflexions on Gino Germani’s work on the subject. The question is whether we are witnessing the crisis of the national State or instead its return. Three temporary conclusions are given: 1. everything depends on the perception a society has of what constitutes an external threat; 2. the fluidity of the threat is relative to the growing number of those who support the fluidity of the alliances as the model of the coalitions of the willing grows; 3. A third aspect is whether the national State is well equipped to fight terrorism which usually is a stateless enemy.

Maurizio Serra, in "MONDO CONTEMPORANEO" 2/2007, pp. 161-170, DOI: