I think the WordPress issue may simply be a case of insufficient bandwidth/server capacity - and not a software issue, but I need to talk to the thinkaboutit techy to conform that.

As for the EU, I think the biggest issue is that the postwar generation who appreciate what the EU has achieved in terms of peace and prosperity (and the contrast with what went before) have now passed on and their children take the good the EU has done for granted and focus on the bad bits - ably abetted by a eurosceptic dominated media (at least in anglo-phone countries).

Also the early idealism has been replaced by a "what's in it for us" attitude which is naturally frustrated when the interaction of 27 different national interests and numerous commercial and advocacy interests results in outcomes not to their liking.  So we have a permanent whinge fest where every complains about not getting everything they want.

Considering the above, the EU works remarkably well really...

notes from no w here