I can see the UK rejoining the EU in the future. It just makes sense for both sides. And 15-20 years might be a sensible time scale to get over Brexit, too. BUT: I’m not sure if the UK can afford to stay out of the EU for that long.

The problem is pride and British exceptionalism, like Polish people in the UK are “immigrants”, while English people in France are “expats”. Those expats form close-knitted communities, buy in their own shops, don’t like to converse in the native language of the country, don’t integrate well with the natives - exactly what the leavers said about e.g. the Polish people in the UK. Pride and exceptionalism made the “Project Leave” work. It was a “blue passport”, “our fish”, “souvereignity”, “we can trade on our own”, “they need us more than we need them” that powered the “independence” movement.

So the UK citizens need to overcome that and realize that one state fighting alone in a world of ever-growing Blocks is bound to fail. Any rational person knew this all along - but they were called out as “fear-mongers”. And any rational analysis of Brexit must state that leaving was a monumental failure. But admitting that one has f-ed up on a big scale is probably one of the hardest things one can do. Especially as there are nearly as many people who voted “remain” and will tell the leavers “told you so”.

I expect that the UK needs the time to realize how bad things can get outside the EU, and whatever makes the UK realize this must be harder than the hurt pride of admitting failure. And the UK will have to deal with some points that will hurt - not because the EU is out to hurt, but because things have changed since the UK joined the first time. And quite a lot of those things were actually started by the UK when they were still members.

I wish you guys all the best, and I want you back in the EU. And in the tiny little corner of the universe where I can help I’ll surely do that.