Questions, once upon a time, were things that happened to people in faraway countries of which we knew little. EU.

[Julia Newman]

The rest - : But suddenly, at the end of the 20th century, the English have realised, to their surprise, that there is an English question too as we ask ourselves: "What sort of nation are we? Are we a nation at all?" - please could anyone suggests what the hell is "the question in this context"

[YelenaPestereva]

Вопрос и есть. Балканский, палестинский и т.п. Может быть, сформулировать это так:
Когда-то под так называемыми вопросами подразумевали то, что происходило с людьми в далеких и малознакомых нам странах.