Brexit. Why do Brits want Out of the EU?

Germany has many social programs in place, and is a hub of commercial and industrial activity.

Do you believe that the prosperity of your nation should be shared with other nations under the EU banner, who don't share Germany's active prosperity?

I didn't know there were Haitians in it.

...though we certainly could do more.

Well that's the idea behind a community.

And yet I clearly recall Angela Merkel stating that Greece would have to "suffer" austerity measures, because she couldn't see her nation bailing them out.

That's actually a collectivist concept, in my understanding.

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Who spoke up for Remain?

I think you're missing my point, Walter. The people have lost faith completely in all of those people you've listed. The "system" has let them down repeatedly; lied to them repeatedly; indebted them needlessly repeatedly; and ignored their needs repeatedly.

This is a system that cannot sustain itself, without putting people into a position of imposed austerity, while the people you mention live the high life.

It's the people, Walter. Aren't you one of them?

We are living in interesting times.

There are legal impediments to the Article 50 process being used to renegotiate terms, but the EU does not let legal niceties get in the way of realpolitik when the stakes are high. Some believe that the EU did not want to reveal its hand before the referendum, but may now offer better terms of membership to the UK. Brexit is a headache it could do without. UK ‘leavers’ would have to be brought onside, but many of these are ‘soft-leavers’. The referendum did not offer a mid-way option – a reformed EU, or a better position for the UK within it – beyond the deal negotiated by the Prime Minister. There was no promise of a ‘Smith Commission’ to appease those who want reform. Will the EU try to bring about such a reform? The UK is so embedded within the EU that untangling membership would be a massive task that may in time appear unnecessary.

There is of course a strong argument that this simply won’t happen. Such an accommodation of the UK would surely need treaty reform and would therefore require the unanimous consent of all Member States to any new deal. As I say, it would also open the door for other states to push for reform and better terms. This latter point could well mean that, for Brussels and the dominant forces within the EU, the political cost could just be too high; the danger being that the monetary union itself could collapse. But this issue will be on the table when the dust settles, and over time the gap between a free trade deal for the UK and ongoing membership may start to shrink towards vanishing point.

Democracy goes against the grain for those who are used to getting their own metropolitan elite, holier than thou way.

Walter Hinteler wrote:

While UK's EU commissioner Lord Hill resignsed following Brexit vote - what about the other British EU-employees?

shouldn't they have to return to Britain? apply for residency and work visas in the countries they're interested in

Apart from Hill, about 1,200 British civil servants work at the European Commission. It is expected that high-ranking officials such as general directors will be suspended. However, on Friday Juncker seemed to suggest that other British civil servants could keep their jobs in Brussels, even after the Brexit is finalized. Several hundred Britons also work on the European Council, in the European Parliament, on the Committee of the Regions, on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and in other EU institutions.