My point is that (up until now, at least) the political class in Brussels was often more popular than the local political class in terms of perceived competence and disinterested judgement and this may be a reason why many people will vote yes even as it becomes increasingly obvious to many more people that the political class in the EU has taken leave of its senses and is operating in the political/financial interests of elites elsewhere than in Ireland.

Twenty years ago, when I was often working with my Italian colleagues at my company's Milan site, my colleagues were strongly in favor of the upcoming Maastricht treaty and generally speaking, for more powers for Brussels' EU institutions. Their reasoning at the time was that the EU was badly needed to reign in the worst excesses of the Italian political class that was perceived as corrupted beyond any repair. Then again, Italy put Berlusconi at its head during much of the subsequent decade.

This was twenty years ago. I wonder how the same EU institutions are perceived today in Italy and to which extent people are realizing that "the EU has taken leave of its senses and is operating in the political/financial interests of elites elsewhere". It should become painfully obvious about now...

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.