Recording his final thoughts before leaving his position in Brussels in July 2010, the columnist of a popular column in The Economist extensively describes the 'Brussels elite' as a unique group made up of individuals who share a strong belief in the value of European integration.

For the Eurocrats, as he refers to the officials of the European Commission, 'Europe is a project based on faith' and 'nationalism is the greatest evil.'

Representatives of many nationalities, multilingual and cosmopolitan, European bureaucrats have chosen to serve 'the dream of a united Europe' rather than pursue a career similar to that of their compatriots in a national capital.

Writing amid the Eurozone debt crisis, this close observer of the Commission notes that European bureaucrats view Europe as some kind of high ideal and, therefore, dismiss—somewhat undemocratically—those who criticize their mission for deeper integration.

[Excerpt from the text of the introduction of the edition]