> Remember when the EU was just supposed to be a trade union rather than an organization that can pass laws that effect every person in Europe?
The EU was never supposed to be just a trade union, that's a key distinguishing difference between the EU and the EEC. (Though even the EEC was in large part motivated by a long-term vision of a United States of Europe.)
"just": "In the past, [Merkel] and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas have both called for individual EU countries’ seats on the UNSC to be “europeanized.”"
> requested
"proposed"
> that France give up their UN security council seat so that the EU could have it
"To lessen the pain of losing the powerful seat, France could become “the permanent EU ambassador to the United Nations,”"