Angela Merkel and her squad of EU presidents/ Prime ministers must now decide how they will react to the United Kingdoms decision to leave the European Union. The decision, it seems, won't come into effect for 2 or 3 months until the UK elects a new prime minister (probably Borris Johnson) to replace David Cameron and activate the legislation which will allow them to exit.

Europe has 2 clear options for how they treat an independent post Brexit UK:

1. Be tough on the UK and spiral them into an economic recession so that other EU countries will be offput by the prospect of going it alone. This however will appear cruel and anti-democratic, simply strengthening Euroscepticism. The EU will be sending out a message of "leave us and we'll destroy you".

2. Give the UK a good trade deal and allow them their freedom without being bitter. Other countries will then hold referendums and the EU may dissolve.

Realistically the EU is going to have issues either way with other countries wanting to leave, so I think they should just go with what will be most beneficial to trade and give us a good and fair deal. Personally I feel like if they use their power to be spiteful that is much better fuel for the far right in Europe to campaign on.

Not necessarily. The EU has the power to make Brexit an economic disaster. If that's the case then none of the other countries will seriously consider leaving because they will want to prevent enormous economic repercussions.

I don't think you understand economics

They better hope the UK fails, otherwise the EU is over. Only time will tell.

Really?

The EU may offer the UK EEA/EFTA status but they will decline this because it will require them to accept the free movement of people. The alternative, apparently, is WTO rules which means tariffs and the UKs financial services will lose access to the single market. That will most certainly result in severe job losses, reduced FDI, reduced trade and hence a recession.

EU:

sis one country does not gain financially by purposefully sabotaging another. that is not how economics works.

They should hang themselves and put an end to this current evil era

Please, tell me you're not being serious

Make them suffer. If they're willing to put the global economy at risk for some little teenage tantrum then they deserve the consequences.

um u ddo realize that Germany has just sealed the deal with China and US? They pretty much don't care if they lose some money on UK as long as that teaches the lection to other EU countries... I mean if EU can punish and destroy UK, what would it do to Polnd, Hungary, or any other less significant country...

How do you think the USA and Europe prospered? Have you ever heard about Latin America and Africa and how bad they were explored and sabotaged?

ELIMINATE HA FROM EUROVISION

Ummmmm

Exactly, after other countries see what Brexit did to uk they are going to change their minds about leaving.

They can stay.

Maybe they should take it as a sign that they are doing something wrong and actively try to change.

This isn't Field of Dreams. This is the real world. The people ruling this world only care about 3 things. Money, Power, Control. They don't care about the average person. They don't care about the economy. The only thing they care about is themselves and how they can obtain even more power and control over the world.