The EU is not a nice construct. It is not designed to be democratic. Even many years ago, if you breathed critique of EU on principled terms (such as its undemocratic, bureaucratic construction) then you were regularly labeled "nationalist". Which is quite a bit like the label "racist" which is thrown around on people who are not. If you are really critical of EU you might get the label "fascist" on you. Which is ironic and dumb and also often a purposeful lie. It is ironic when thrown at individuals by politicians and bureaucrats who love corporate fascism.

Why not read this, just as a description of another example of how this pile of anti-democracy develops:

https://edri.org/eu-decision-making-is-not-eu-administration-says-eu-administration/

Now, seeing how the EU (once "a European cooperation") develops, will it last? If it continues to develop into more un-democracy, bureaucracy, ruled by pan-Europeans whose identity is more bound to lobbying interests (or foreign powers) than to those taxpayers who finance their shenanigans, then one day there will EU troops marching into one of its member states based on a dishonest excuse or lie. That's when financial harassment is not enough. The political entity EU is not kumbaya, it is just another dream of "unity" imposed from above. In many individual cases it is well-meaning, but that does not necessarily make it good.

And please note that is MY statement and prediction, not something EDRI (the organization that I quote above) says. I better point that out, as there is always a-holes that try to smear people and groups and organizations by association. E.g. "oh someone evil commented on your FB post so you are evil too". That method is probably as old as civilization. From village gossip to authoritarian regimes. It is very popular. Another modern instance is "Mr X is a shit and he linked to your blog post and therefore you are a shit."

I'll probably come back to EU. Sweden joined in 1995, I was an adult and have clear memories of how it was sold to us. There were many people that were not convinced, both before and after.