If you raise this with any serving politician, they retort that yes, the thing is a mess but major reform is impractical. Britain would not be taken seriously if it started talking this way. I don't believe this. I think it is sloth and timidity. Our failure to talk clearly about the Europe we actually want is taking us away from the euro and then to confront harder choices still in the worst possible atmosphere.
Politicians are good at reassuring summit glosses and the anaesthetic of the daily bulletin.