Niall Ferguson’s view of the future of Europe is severe. The continent "is experiencing fundamental demographic and cultural changes whose long term consequences no one can forsee." The facts: population decline is as great as it was during the Blavk Death in the 14th century; the median age will be 50 by 2050, and the welfare state will need drastic reform since one in three will be 65 or older; immigration may be the answer, from Muslim lands, of course. Bleak. 
I noticed that the Czech Republic has a very low birth rate (1.16 children per woman) ranking it one of the lowest in the world. Aren’t the Czech’s supposed to be part of the "New Europe"?
Dear Peter,
Thanks for the post; informative and useful reading. You might take a look at an article James Kurth published in The National Interest not too long ago, entitled "Empire." Makes many of the same points, but with a broader perspective (i.e. including the US).