Though, for the above reasons, I believe that United Europe is infinitely better than a disunited one,
I feel bitterly disappointed by its current management.

It is presently little more than a club run by member-state governments through thousands of nominated commissars. Those with a voice in the machinery (which does not include the token Parliament) are so reluctant to submit their decisions to public approval that a referendum is considered by the rulers of many EU countries as a dirty word.

We, the people, were never asked what kind of Europe we want: one of states or one of governments or one of regions or one of peoples or whatever else. We were also never asked to which extent we wish EU institutions to replace those of the member states, rather than being added on top of them (think about Defense or Foreign Affairs).

As it is, after every Maastricht or whatever, we are just told that there was such and such new development or Treaty and that's it. So far, United Europe means essentially just a new layer of costly bureaucracy added on top of the existing one and developing like a multi-ganglial invertebrate living blob. It is all absurd to the point that I really wonder how long it will take before the whole thing collapses under its own weight.