[the_biot]

It's true that the UK was always the biggest opponent, but don't kid yourself that the rest of the EU is on board with federalizing. There is no popular mandate for that whatsoever.

Just look at what happens whenever some EU treaty needs ratifying by national referendum.

[blibble]

> There is no popular mandate for that whatsoever.

that never stopped it before, just look at the "Constitution for Europe"

rejected by the French and Dutch electorates

it was then rejigged slightly and then pushed through as the Treaty of Lisbon (without pesky referendums)

[Macha]

The Lisbon Treaty did at least need a referendum in Ireland. It was rejected initially, partially as a warning shot to the then unpopular government between elections, and partially because of genuine concerns about the impact it would have on Ireland's military neutrality and for the concerns that the EU could then impose a minimum corporate tax rate on the country.

As a result, the EU agreed a set of guarantees [1] that the Lisbon treaty would not be used to do either of these things (to Ireland specifically), and only then did it pass in Ireland.

An EU army has more widespread opposition these days, so hasn't been raised since. Minimum corporate tax rates did not pass through the EU, though this year the US led an effort that is going to result in them globally via other avenues.

[1]: https://www.iiea.com/images/uploads/resources/230535195500_L...