How Brexit Made the EU More Popular

A look at the problems of Brexit made European countries pull back from movements to leave the EU.

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[firestarter]

they should teach in schools to understand populism lies and how to deal with it

[bikeman]

I think many in the UK are learning the hard way that, a) the British Empire is really, really over now b) the UK is a big European country, but only a mid sized global player. To compete on the global stage, you have to be close with your neighbors c) much of the UK media is polemic in nature, and their habit of blaming Brussels for everything came with a very big price. The average Brit's understanding of the EU and its purpose is ridiculously poor.

[louis-philippearnhem]

We cannot thank the Brexiteers enough! Thanks to you guys I don’t take the EU for granted anymore. I enjoy the freedom of movement over 4, 200, 000 square km, which is bigger than India btw. And next time I cross the Channel, I still can roam for free! Because the EU cares for its citizens.
Greetings from Belgium, EU

[maxharbig]

Not exactly saved the EU but certainly bolstered it and gave it at least one very important possible financial advantage. A few years before Brexit some EU countries had been complaining that the UK, a non-euro country, was the main centre for euro based financial transactions like euro clearing and derivatives. The European Court of Justice rejected the complaints saying that prohibiting euro transaction trading in the UK would be a discriminatory action against an EU member country. After Brexit that caveat no longer exists and slowly but surely the migration of euro based transactions to European financial centres has begun and will continue. In fact, EuroNext, which manages many of the Stock Exchanges in Europe and is merged with the NYSE, is beefing up its existing transactional platforms and implementing new ones in centres like Milan. The EU seems not to be particularly interested in having a central financial hub and prepared to sacrifice the relative economies of scale that entails in order to spread the benefits among member countries .

[khoichau]

Whenever I am feeling bad about an idiotic decision I made I just remember that there are people who voted for Brexit thinking that it would make their lives better... Then I don't feel bad anymore

[nikolaslarson]

I would say GB saved Europe. Firstly, Brexit allowed Europe to get rid of it's worst troublemaker. Secondly, the rapid British economic decline due to Brexit gave other European conservative/populist governments the scare of their lives and further discussions over "x"-exits stopped.
Thank you, Great Britain!

[karylhogan]

Having lived in London for four years I had no doubts brexit would happen..
The average brit thought European Union revolved around London 🙄..never heard once a positive benefit of being in Union…
European Union better without Britain as they were unhappy in it..💁🇮🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺

[mauricej]

There were some idiots here in The Netherlands who wanted an Nexit. After the beautiful example of brexit, they all dissapeared😂😂

[parioceanchicago]

UK was never in Europe: didn't sign the Shengen accord, never switch to pound to euro.
It's normal they left.

[vplph]

The (political ) UK was never a decent member of the EU... loud, entitled and arrogant.

I love brits but hate its politics and medieval structure.

You won't be missed unfortunately.

[Sonmi-]

Denmark's exit was never even a remote possibility. Sure, Danes are champions of free markets, just like the Brits, but that never lead them to conclude that one should leave the biggest and most successful free market zone in the world. Unless one's logic is under the heavy influence of campaign money from both The City and Moscow, this line of reasoning appears mildly flawed. But the promise of £350 million per week to the broken NHS was too good to let go I assume. People should walk up to Westminster and demand to get that money now or insist on a new referendum. Those are the rules of democracy.

[edmaximum]

I can certainly say that Brexit made many EU citizens realize that they benefit a lot from the EU—free movement, the single market, etc.—and shouldn't take it for granted. The Brits are learning this the hard way. Other Europeans now care much more about the EU, which I think is a good thing

[henriknielsen]

"Outside the world's largest trading bloc", that's where the UK chose to put itself in the most blatant act of national masochism in recent centuries

[bertoverweel]

Yep, a few idiots in the Netherlands still want's to leave the EU but that's it.

[nickharvey]

The Irish border problem was not 'unexpected' to anyone with more than a passing acquaintance with the facts

[barbthegreat]

I don't think EU was failing before Brexit, si it needed no saving. It's just made EU more popular.

[Ooze-cltx]

Brexit was expensive and painful.
Companies that were engaged in UK/EU trade had to adapt and those that couldnt went bankrupt.
New border infrastructure had to be build and payed for and additional customs officers had to be trained.
Years of negotiations took a lot of effort and even distracted the partaking diplomats (maybe so much that the russian invasion of Ukraine was made easier).
And we didnt even have a vote in it.
But now those costs have materialized and had to be paid and have been paid.
And we can look at the results and at the positive parts:
No more UK meddling in EU affairs - the constant nagging "we want more or we veto" is gone.
No more adamant opposition to EU security development (one wonders if the UK blocked that because of the amount of russian donations they received)
No more UK spying on their EU "partners" for the USA
No more continous demands for opt-outs (or we leave!)
No more non-euro country meddling in our currency (just look at what they - Lizz Truss - did to their own)
Finaly no more Farage in our EP - that alone is worth a lot.

[djh]

You have a problem. Your view of the EU prior to the referendum is based on the views expressed by the British media.
I was transferred to The Netherlands in 1978. I hadn't intended staying but I did because even in 1978 the view of the EEC portrayed by the British media was jaundiced, and I found that everything was better in the EEC than I had been led to believe.
Over the years I watched the British media present a more and more ridiculous view of the EEC/EU. By the early naughties I told a friend in the UK, who I met in my first year at Uni, that it was inevitable that the UK would leave the EU. My reasoning was simple; who would want to be a member of the EU as it was presented by the British media? He didn't believe me.
After the referendum I sent him a copy of my prediction made more than ten years earlier. He just had not been aware of the huge difference between the reality in the EU and the fantasies portrayed by the British media.
Even today you still believe that the British media was telling you the way it was back then.
I still live in the EU. I watch as people like you struggle to understand why leaving the EU has gone so badly. Until you accept that you were lied to by the British media, you will never be able to understand why it went so wrong. It was inevitable, but that inevitability is only visible to those who were not blindfolded by the linguistic shackles of the English language.

[thecaptain]

It is true that sometimes when you have dumb ideas, all you need as a bigger fool that actually put them in practise so you learn from their experience. So, you see, there is a purpose for Brexiteers to exist! BTW, this is finally a tangible Brexit benefit

[joarvat]

As a Norwegian, I would prefer if Norway joined the EU too. Europeans share a lot in common. We are stronger together.