Many people seem incredulous, I think it makes sense when you look back at European history. European integration is a major factor that today Western Europe is at peace (and there isn't even the slightest bit of danger of there being a war among Western European nations) and doesn't look like the Balkans.<p>A war between Germany and France is completely unimaginable, no matter how much the government in France and Germany might disagree, a war wouldn't even make sense. Yes, the Cold War also contributed to that, but European integration helped create a Europe that is not in disarray. Sure, there are heated debates, crises and arguments (as should be expected and is very much normal), but unlike in the past there is practically no danger that those arguments could turn into war.<p>There are many things I do not like about how the European Union is set up (most of that is historical baggage – creating the EU was a hard, long and necessarily convoluted process), but with a peace prize I can agree.<p>But why now? The Nobel Peace Prize is supposed to encourage. Sometimes they are a bit early with their encouragement (see Obama), but that's the general idea. This is to say yes, the European project might have flaws, but it has also been a force for good.