EU and democracy don't have to combine

@Kidogo. A literate and persuasive post. But surely good governance led by an oligarchic elite who secure the rule of law is more important than democracy. Per se.
Britain has had the former since earlier than any other country, but was a latecomer to democracy. In between, by the standards of the day, the British were more prosperous and free than other Europeans.
Democracy is so over-rated. AS someone said about fears of introducing democracy to some Arab countries where Islamists have popular support: democracy. One person, one vote. Once.

EU legislation is complex. People don't want to know what goes on underneath the bonnet so long as the car propels them forward.
Euroscepticism is actually at an all time low in Britain; why not just let the eurocrats get on with it?
There are checks and balances in Brussels, the ecology is much more complex than people think: a network of lobbyosts, NGOS, business organisations, all the multinationals, law firms, trades unions, member states, regional assembly associations...
bascially it is where Europe's elites meet and transact business. There is an indirect democracy because one way or another they represent people (qua inhabitants of their city, qua members of their profession) back home. And what's wrong with that? Plato talked about leadership as a skill; we don't vote on which of the airline passengers should become the pilot. The idea that oligarchies know best on behalf of the people has honourable antecedents - and in fact operates in many areas of our national life.

No one is going to vote for a system of pan European democracy, with international parties with manifestoes in 21 languages (who is gonna be party leader?). It's just utopian.
And, even supposing it were to happen, who wants populist slogans, cheesy politicians, and all the attendant debasement - perhaps the broader the democracy the baser it becomes. The lowest common denominator of 500m people is iwhat? Fascism perhaps. Anti-Russian poses.
Hatred of immigrants.

Another proposal: if we do go down the route of democracy. Before anyone looks at the EU. Takes it apart, Asks basic questions of the eurocracy, people should ask some pretty basic questions about the city of London, another place which attracts bright people and wields great power. What the hell is it there for? Who does it benefit? No really. Why do we put up the fat bonuses. This is a democracy is it not? Why are we swalloing camels and straining at gnats. I bet you many eurosceptics are actually retired losers whose railing against the jeunesse doree elite in Brussels arte expressing an alienation at untramelled power which could with equal justice be aimed at the city.
There is no natural law that mandates capitalism, or the flawed version that passes for it there.

Lostcause: you're absolutely right.