I am writing this from Rostock, Germany, but I am not German. I am Italian.
My relative fluency in English is the exception in Italy and in Rostock, too (moved here two years ago so I think I can say something on this matter).
In other words if you think that every citizen in UE has the same command of English (and the same propensity to think globally, assuming I have any and it is related to English) you are wrong.