Starting from the intervention of Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Giuseppe Sacco elaborates on the pessimism wave that hit the European Union. The slowing down of the unification project was clear from the refusal of France and the Netherlands to the Constitution first, and from the Irish rejection of the “simplified” version then. Precisely, these are a signal of the most controversial issue concerning the European Union, which is the public opinion’s belief of being misrepresented by the Brussels’ institutions. Therefore, considering the French and Irish refusal as led by nationalism and political myopia would be a mistake. On this basis, the author outlines an institutional proposal that might reduce the “democratic deficit” that is weakening the European Union development.

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