Sylvain Kahn's book "Europe: A State Unaware of Itself" describes all the ways European leaders have used confusing language to hide the fact that the EU is a federal state.
As for the rotating presidency, it might be expensive but in some ways it’s the EU’s equivalent of a royal progress. A common failure mode with political unions is that one member starts engaging in corrupt or sectarian behaviour and the rest of the union has to carry the cost (US Deep South, Northern Ireland, Hungary). Every state will be on the stage every 20 years or so reduces the odds of this happening.
To illustrate my point, imagine if British ministers had to spend 6 months in Wales Scotland, and NI every 20 years, it would be good for the UK.
The Irish veto on losing our commissioner was based on experiences during the Union with Britain where you had an entirely non-Irish cabinet incompetently and arrogantly making policy for Ireland based on racial prejudice. The country will likely never give it up, for good reason.
As for the rotating presidency, it might be expensive but in some ways it’s the EU’s equivalent of a royal progress. A common failure mode with political unions is that one member starts engaging in corrupt or sectarian behaviour and the rest of the union has to carry the cost (US Deep South, Northern Ireland, Hungary). Every state will be on the stage every 20 years or so reduces the odds of this happening.
To illustrate my point, imagine if British ministers had to spend 6 months in Wales Scotland, and NI every 20 years, it would be good for the UK.
The Irish veto on losing our commissioner was based on experiences during the Union with Britain where you had an entirely non-Irish cabinet incompetently and arrogantly making policy for Ireland based on racial prejudice. The country will likely never give it up, for good reason.