You know I like you, sometimes you think I don't, but I do.
RB> So when does the "NLEXIT" come? ;-)
That is not going to happen for the simple reason that the Netherlands as a small country has nothing to gain from an isolationist policy.
The first union in Europe, way before what we know now as the EU, was the BeNeLux. Look it up. Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg understand the reason for such a union.
The predecessor of what eventually became the EU consisted of 6 countries only: the Benelux countries plus Germany, France and Italy. It was not so much an idea then the gain economic weight and play the role of a worldleader, but force eternal foes France and Germany to trade with eachother under the assumption that good trading partners don't go to war, they complement eachother (by the end of WW2 France and Germany the last 75 years had fought 3 major armed conflicts).
The EU, Bob, is a peace plan which has worked extremely well.
The kind of pissing-contest the UK has been involved in ever since, certainly under Margareth Thatcher and now under Theresa May who thinks she is Thatcher but has a long road to travel first, has annoyed too many people too often.
The real loser here is the UK who instead of being a partner in one of the three largest economies worldwide and sit on the banquet of the big boys, is now forced to play a more modest role. The days of
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves! Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.
... are a thing of the past, if Argentina decides upon another venture into the Falklands, then that will be it.
RB> The problem with the BREXIT is not only that it cases a shadow on the EU RB> as a viable community and may encourage others to follow ...
That is political commentator hogwash written to fill columns.
Only ultra right-wing semi-dictatorships who cannot thrive under a blanket of multi-nation cooperation and other points on the agenda, mostly racial bias, might be induced to do something like that. I see only 2 opprtunities: the Netherlands with Wilders and France with LePen. The result of the Netherlands is clear, it went nowhere and I cannot even imagine that after the warnings from the Brexit and Trump's election France will be so dumb to let something similar happen.
I rather see the desintegration of the UK. Scotland (with its oil and gas industry) declaring independance would seriously weaken the UK economy, Heathrow's importance will be scaled-back, maybe Wales will get ideas to break away from the UK and join the Union. And the people in Ulster don't want a hard border as there used to be some decades ago ...
The loser in all this will be the ordinary small people in the UK, they will suffer.
