I'm afraid that is one more thing we have the Brits to thank for.  Their strategy was to prevent the deepening of the Union by diluting it with the addition of 10 eastern members and also by making it essentially ungovernable by requiring unanimity amongst 28 members before major decisions could be made.  The EU also played into the US/|UK post cold war strategy of isolating Russia by encroaching right up to its borders.

None of this had any regard for "the social market", or the development of a cohesive EU demos.  Indeed quite the reverse: it was to ensure that the Brit strategy of restrict the development of the EU to a glorified single market within which the Brits could play their imperialist games.

It would be wrong, however to blame the US/UK entirely for this.  EU conservatives and nationalists were more than happy to play along with their post cold war imperialist games...

Index of Frank's Diaries