David Carter. I think many people are wedded to the idea of nation state and moving away from it will take time. If the EU was more democratic in it's institutions and operated with total transparency people might accept integration more readily. I suspect the EU needs to change, not the people. Trying to merge disparate economies into one was a dream too far as I am sure the Euro will surely demonstrate in the not too distant future.
The history of Empire does not bode well for the extent of the EU lifespan, even the American Empire(hegemony) is fast racing into the ropes.