The EU Problem

From the perspective of Spain, Italy, France, etc., nations all subject to greater EU consolidation, does voting on the part of the Spaniard, the Italian, the French really matter anymore? It's a lesson that Americans should take to heart, as our own states have seen their power diminish to the point of becoming mere satellite outposts of the federal government.

From Daniel Hannon, writing for the Telegraph:

One of the curiosities of contemporary Europe is that, while people keep voting for Rightist parties, nothing much changes. Only three per cent of EU nationals now live under Left-led governments (those in Austria, Cyprus and Slovenia – I don't think we can count Greece any more). Yet spending continues to rise (except on defence), bureaucracies continue to grow, powers continue to shift from national capitals to Brussels. Which brings us up against a hard truth. As long as most laws come from Brussels, and as long as economic policy comes from Frankfurt, it really doesn't matter how you vote.