The EU after Brexit
 

Last night, a visitor and hardline 'Brexiteer' said that once the UK leaves the whole EU will eventually crumble. It's the first brick out the wall and it will all come down one day, starting with Italy apparently.

It wasn't what he said that I laughed at, but the manner of the delivery. Hoping it would come and enjoying this predicted demise.

So, question to those who voted to leave; do you care what happens to the EU after Brexit / in the future? Do you hope it succeeds and remains a stable local partner for the UK to enjoy a relationship with? Do you want it to disband and fail completely?

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

I think the political union is a doomed project long-term, which is one of the (many) reasons I voted for Brexit. It could survive a lot longer (a la Yugoslavia) but in the medium term I can't see any way in which such proud disparate nations, each with their own language, identity, culture, and political system will continue to support a set of monetary and political policies that are not in their interest.

Definitely I care about what happens. I'm a proud European. Brought up in Holland, educated in France, and worked several years in Spain. I would desperately like to see European nations succeed and grow. For that to happen I just think the EU has to dramatically reform first - and I don't see that happening unless other countries also leave.

I'd love to see the EU become more like the original free trade community, sharing standards, breaking down trade barriers and co-operating on research and crime. Anyone that wanted to join it then could, from Turkey to Australia to Ghana. So long as you follow the standards you can join and sell your goods to the EU. If you don't then you can't. You can join and leave when you like. A proper free trade agreement. I'd vote to join up for that any day.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

I thought Macron, however much I dislike the odious man, had something when he suggested a Europe made up of rings.

in the centre, stronger euro using economies, think more northern Europe, and further out, weaker, possibly not euro using countries, think southern Europe. On the outside, more peripheral trading countries like the UK, Turkey, Norway etc.

No idea how it would work but I thought the idea had merit. One of the problems the EU has I think, is the one size fits all philosophy, when it obviously doesn't.

what will happen to the EU after? Who knows?

Don't think it will come crashing down though.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

I work in an office full of nationals of EU member states, and they all say the same thing - Brexit is only a front-page obsession in the UK. In continental Europe, nobody cares; the UK's decided to leave, they're sorry about that and they think it's a mistake, but c'est la vie. They're all agreed that the UK can't cherry-pick the beneficial parts of EU membership without the obligations and the Leave campaigners were either delusional or flat-out liars for insisting that it could, but apart from that, they just want the deal done ASAP and it's not the most important matter on their minds.

The EU isn't going to crumble post-Brexit because there *isn't* a popular groundswell of anti-EU opinion on the continent, no matter what the swivel-eyed loons in the UK will pretend. There's a degree of healthy EU-scepticism, yes, but that's an entirely different thing - that's all about adapting and improving aspects of the EU, not bringing it down.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

Brexit doesn’t help the European project, but it’s the self-made crisis of permitting unchecked migration and the Eurozone that will be its undoing. If Italy does leave the Euro then you can kiss a federal Europe goodbye.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

How do you square the idea of "unchecked migration" with Article 7 of the CRD?

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

Unchecked migration from outside the EU.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

So presumably you're referring to the EU's policy on refugees? Since obviously, all EU member states have 100% control over their own immigration policy for migration from non-EU countries.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

The majority are economic migrants, not refugees.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

So yes, you're referring to the EU's policy on refugees, as that's the only aspect of migration from outwith the member states which isn't entirely under the control of each state's individual immigration policies.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

To imagine that the EU depends on UK membership is to reveal profound ignorance of the reality of Modern Europe. Go and look. Visit the powerhouse that is reunited Germany. The successful economy of France. Marvel at the amazing resilience of Estonia and Slovakia. Wonder at what has been achieved in Italy.

Then look at Perfidious Albion and what is left of a once-great Empire.. What does it produce ? What does it export ?

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

No, I wasn’t and no, it isn’t.

Re: The EU after Brexit
 

Well easy enough knowing how you feel 🙄