[Renaud]

I don't know where you got that so many people in the EU rejoice at the defection of the UK. It is a sad state of affair that gets the rest if the EU sad and angry. I don't see what there is to rejoice about, although I'm sure that some will see it as a benefit in some narrow way.

[Iv]

That's the general sentiment in France. Too often UK has used their veto to prevent some EU-wide change or to block any initiative that was not about purely trade. Most of the people who follow EU politics think that Brexit is an economical loss but a political gain.

Here is for example an opinion piece by Michel Rocard, a former French PM (left-wing guy, really not a nationalist), before the Brexit: https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/27e68h/what_rocard_...

[NicoJuicy]

Actually, UK was never part of the EU ( fully). I'm glad that's over now, i don't think UK will benefit on the long term and I hope the responsable politicians will be punished.

But at least the will be no more exceptions for participating members of the EU.

The EU was a good concept, but exceptions to members states ( not only UK, but also for Belgium eg. To much debt), made it a lot less usefull

Damned politicians...

Ps. This is not a rant against UK, but against the 'broken' execution of the foundations throughout the years.

Also it's time to send a clear message, you can't get the benefits of you aren't a member

[Boothroid]

The EU's worst nightmare is a successful UK post-Brexit. The general feeling amongst my friends and colleagues is that we are more than willing to put in the hard graft to make it happen. Anyone that thinks the UK will roll over is going to be disappointed.

[Boothroid]

Plenty of examples of the supposedly core EU members flouting the rules when it suited them also.

[petre]

People in the UK voted to join the EC, not the EU. British leadership (Margaret Tatcher) was very straightforward from the begining about not joining the EMU/Eurozone.

[NicoJuicy]

But they were in the EU, it's not about the intention of not being in. Also EC is a predecessor of the EU. It also started with the BeNeLux before that

Exceptions on joining, but not participating 100% shouldn't be allowed in the first place

[imdsm]

Remember, people voted to join the EC, and politicians then signed the UK up to the EU without asking the people. The UK was never meant to be part of the EU. The UK & US helped start the EU to prevent Europe from falling back into war, but it was never meant to engulf the UK, who as Churchill said, is too incompatible to ever be a part of it.

[zdkl]

Rejoice is indeed a bit strong, but definitely at least Schadenfreude for the foot-bullet aimed at their trust & reputation centered industries.

[Boothroid]

In your opinion. Given the fascistic bullying of sovereign nations Hungary and Poland by Brussels for merely defending their citizens' interests, perhaps the writing is on the wall.

[danmaz74]

From polls I read, except for France, most people in the EU absolutely don't rejoice Brexit. But many - me included - think that, even if Brexit is a very sad fact, at least it could help fixing this kind of problems.