[matthewmacleod]

I find that quite difficult to believe.

"Europe" is essentially meaningless as an identification of a place you live. The difference in culture, society and lifestyle between, say, Athens, Bucharest and Inverness is pretty extensive. There are of course some elements of shared culture, but there are also a whole bunch of different lifestyles.

The same applies in the US to some extent, though of course a common language and federal government homogenises the country much more.