[InspiredIdiot]

I assume it comes down to the "monetary union without a political union" part. I think you could make some of the same arguments for the United States but Alabama and California have a stronger political union so there is less (but certainly still some) chance for California to exploit the relationship by tilting the monitory policy to favor itself. Having said that, I don't understand how EU-level policy is set. Are EU parliamentarians even directly elected?

[andrepd]

The name European "Parliament" is a bad joke. I'm not aware of any other parliament in existence without the power to propose laws! The executive AND legislative power is in the Commission, which is unelected, unknown (for 95% of the public), and mostly unaccountable bureaucrats.

Regarding monetary and economic policy, believe it or not it gets worse. Much power lies in the "Eurogroup", an informal body of finance ministers of member countries which meet behind closed doors, as does the council by the way. Why do we not require our servants (that's what politicians are, supposedly) to have their meetings livestreamed for the public again?

[somewhereoutth]

Certainly the Parliament should be stronger (and will become so as it has a democratic mandate), but it is the Council, not the Commission, that is the supreme policy making body of the EU. The Council is made up of representatives from member state governments, which are of course democratically elected.

[madaxe_again]

Yes. European citizens vote for their MEPs in elections. Many choose not to vote, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t democratically selected.