[richarme]

I think you're probably right, but sometimes I wonder if a bit of distance can be a good thing. Perhaps a slight distance can make populism less viable while still being effective at representing the low-pass filtered will of the people in a sense.

And perhaps the lower public mindshare might help insulate against people with ambitions but not people's best interest at heart. Or this is crazy talk, not sure which one it is :)

[raxxorraxor]

That isn't a good development at all. Problem is that this distance isn't realized for large interest groups. This bill is an example. It is still on the menu despite numerous lobbying attempts have been made public.

The EU shifted power from voters to larger groups with particular interests. Those groups have the resources to address people in Brussels, while voters have more or less no voice or impact.

This is a structural problem.

[richarme]

Ah yes, absolutely agree. You were referring to the EU as a whole, and I was specifically thinking about the parliament.