[throwaway9274]

European societies have more fractious populations and a far more elite-mediated society than the U.S.

As a result, their union of states is both more fractious, in that it is a confederation and not a true federal government, and more elite-mediated, in that its function depends more upon the consensus among national elites than among national populations.

Put another way, it is more important that Paris agrees with Berlin than that Bautzen agrees with Lille.

Is that anti-democratic or just a more republican (small r) form of democracy?

I am not sure. But it is different.