The EU has a Lot to Learn from Brexit

The victory of the leave campaign, while long predicted, nonetheless came to many as a shock. The consequences of Brexit are complex and may take a decade to manifest. However, two things can already be concluded. Firstly, the consequences will be much stronger felt in the UK than the EU. Secondly, it simply seems very unlikely that in the globalized 21st century a country would be in an economically stronger or ‘more sovereign’ position after withdrawing from the European Union. Yet a majority of Brits has voted ‘leave’, many of whom were English and Welsh, above 45 years old, not living in an urban area, and without higher education. If the vote was not ‘rational’ (whatever that may be), how can it then be explained? And how should the EU consequently react?