Even if the Lisbon Treaty lost some compared to the Constitutional Treaty, the amended Treaty on European Union is a fairly clear outline of what the EU is about, as far as you can say that of any legal texts. (Britain did some damage to the clarity by insisting on putting the foreign, security and defence policy Articles into the TEU, though, instead of with the rest of external relations in the TFEU.)

But naturally the policies and activities of the European Union are much more than the improved basic legal texts.

I just wonder how anyone can explain the working of the EU in a country where the most sold newspapers routinely report news (not comment even) in terms like “the hated EU treaty” etc.