He probably doesn't go far enough, eschewing all mention of a fiscal Union, or common health, education, social welfare, employment, housing or infrastructural policies.

He also misses an essential political point: Most of Europe's key leaders are accountable to their national electorates, not a European one.  It is illogical to expect (say) Merkel to adopt the above policies while she remains accountable to a solely German electorate.

Germany has been doing just fine with an ECB with a very limit remit and a European Commission with a tiny budget as a % of European GDP.  So why should it permit change?

Unless a majority of Council members come to see it as being in their national interest to promote the above European wide policies, we will continue to have beggar thy neighbour economic austerity policies.

Even the shock of Brexit hasn't promoted a re-think.  Will it take a collection of peripheral states threatening a joint exit to promote a re-think?  It is beginning to look like it.

Index of Frank's Diaries