In a critical examination of Europe's secularism, Dr. Sulkowski points out the underlying disillusionment in the socio-political model embraced by elites in Germany and France. This model presumed that civic loyalty would naturally overshadow religious identity, leading to a seamless integration of immigrants into a liberal framework. Sulkowski labels this assumption as 'naivety' and 'utopianism,' rooted in the Enlightenment belief that only one superior civilization exists, to which all others must ultimately conform.

Drawing particular attention to France, Sulkowski highlights a significant crisis within the laïcité model, which aims for a strict separation of religion from the state. Contrary to expectations that each consecutive generation would become more secularized, statistics reveal an alarming trend of increasing religiosity among young Muslims in the country. The data shows that in 1989, only 7% of young Muslims aged 15-24 identified strongly with their faith, whereas recent surveys indicate that this figure has more than doubled, reflecting a rise in religious identification at odds with secular ideals.

This evolving landscape poses challenges for European societies grappling with the implications of a diversifying religious identity in the context of secular governance. The article suggests that the failure to facilitate a genuine integration of religious minorities threatens to undermine the foundations of liberal values in Europe and raises profound questions about the future of secularism on the continent as it encounters the realities of multiculturalism and religious expression.