In 2014, the EU elected a President for the European Commission who had had to resign from his previous post in disgrace and was rumoured to be an alcoholic. It appointed as President of the Parliament someone whose claim to fame was insulting Silvio Berlusconi at the right time but was otherwise rumoured to be spineless - and more so, reinforced the view of power imbalance in favour of one of the Union's largest state. The semi-permanent President of the Council became a person who was about to lose the elections in their native land, and the rotating presidents are what they are (many and often changing). Neither of the presidents carry the moral clout or legitimacy of a leader. Their similar titles make it confusing which one is which and does what! The only brightly shining star of political leadership is Angela Merkel, but she is not my Arch-Chancellor. She is the German Arch-Chancellor. She cannot replace the poor leadership that heads of state in Europe have given /me/ and every other person in Europe.

When I look at the assembly of Commissioners I keep hearing the Donald Trump quote "they're not sending their best". One of my former colleagues from the Parliament was said to have been sent there because they'd wasted Much Tax Money buying an expensive and unnecessary helicopter.

I do think the EU are doing better in that they're doing less. EU proposals recently aren't spectacular, far-reaching or bold. But regardless of what the policies are, there is no one to carry them - no one who is allowed. And in all the cases where present policies were simply previously bad choices, there is no one to own up to it or change direction.

I believe in the EU, that there's a way to do it better. So I want the Brits in. And that's that.

It's on my to-do list to hunt down all the quotes from EU federalists in Sweden denonimating the Greek as lazy, tax-evading leechers. Or Hungarians or Poles as mean, possibly fascist. Why do they expect people to want to unionise with lazy leechers possibly of an authoritarian pursuation? And why the persistent lack of recognition that southern Europe, for all its challenges, have voted for democratic parties and leaders that believe in the values the EU was made to uphold? I don't get this.

And our EU friendly leaders act surprised and indignified when people seem to hesitate in their belief in the Union - no wonder! since we're consistently told, by them, what bad company we're in.

If a political party in a member state had chosen individuals as their leaders who 1) lost elections, 2) had resigned in disgrace and 3) were rumoured alcoholics, that political party would not win an election. Going all the way to electing an EU Commission President isn't even necessary to fix this: the member state leaders must just be willing to let the European leaders shine as brightly as they do themselves. This would be the real display of loyalty with the European idea: giving the EU the tools it needs to represent itself.