Once the original six core countries began to expand to include northern, southern, and, most recently, eastern European countries, the old federal vision was doomed. The constitution was designed to make a Europe of 25 members more efficient, not produce a strong federal state.
然而，即使没有最近的一系列挫折，这个说法也难以实现。一旦欧盟六个中心创始国开始扩张欧盟以吸纳北欧、南欧以及最近加入的东欧国家，联邦国家的陈旧说法就注定失败。宪法是为了使一个拥有25个成员国的欧盟变得更有效率，而不是产生一个强大的联邦制国家。