The European Union faces no shortage of criticism and acceptance issues, yet the causes are often sought in the wrong places. While many hope that expanding the powers of the European Parliament can resolve the Union's democratic deficit, Dieter Grimm demonstrates why this hope is misguided. In fundamental discussions and individual studies, Grimm, one of the most renowned German legal scholars, reveals that a key reason for the significant acceptance problems is often overlooked: the independence of the EU's executive and judicial bodies (the Commission and the European Court of Justice) from the democratic processes in the member states and the EU itself, which has its roots in the constitutionalization of the treaties carried out by the Court. He explores the causes of this problematic development and offers insights.