The EU really isn’t even a representative government anymore, so yes, pesky squabbles about how to spend the peasant’s money rarely break out into the open.
It never was a representative government. The “Parliament” (called the “Common Assembly” during
ECSC days) started out with all appointed members, and never gained any legislative power when they switched to elected members.
Vladimir Bukovsky compared the European Parliament to the Supreme Soviet, and the European Commission to the Politburo.