Ten years ago today, voters chose to take the UK out of the European Union, sending shockwaves across the continent. When the result was announced, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage declared: "The EU’s finished, the EU’s dead." A decade on, new data has revealed that the historic decision has neither triggered a collapse of the giant trading bloc nor driven British and European public opinion permanently apart. Instead, the findings point to a shared desire for cooperation between opposing sides of Brexit.
Initial Fears of Domino Effect Unfounded
Views on one of the defining acts of the 21st century have been compiled over the last 10 years to mark the anniversary. Initial anxieties that the UK's departure would trigger a domino effect across the continent proved unfounded, according to the report by Bertelsmann Stiftung. By March 2026, just 21% of people in Britain and 18% of those living in the EU anticipated that other countries would copy the UK; less than half the level recorded in March 2018.
Majority Now Backs Remain
While the result of the Brexit referendum in 2016 was narrow, with 51.9% choosing to leave, many wouldn't vote the same way today, say the pollsters. When asked how they would vote in a referendum on EU membership, the most recent figures, from March 2026, show a stable majority for Remain at 57%.
Initial Optimism Fades
The political assurances that life would instantly improve and the country would 'take back control' have not been realised. Though British voters felt optimistic about their future outside the EU, that initial confidence faded, the report says. In March 2026, only 41% of those questioned said they felt positive about their personal outlook for the future. Only 23% said their economic situation had improved over the previous two years.
UK and EU Views Converge
However, rather than creating a psychological barrier, the split has seen British and continental viewpoints move closer together. A decade on, people on both sides of the Channel find themselves aligned on global goals and what they want from the future, according to the report. By March 2026, attitudes were remarkably similar: support for a stronger EU role in world affairs stood at 66% in the UK and 71% across the EU, around half of respondents on both sides viewed the EU positively, and levels of satisfaction with EU democracy and perceptions of the EU's direction were almost identical.
Experts Call for Political Pragmatism
Jake Benford, Bertelsmann Stiftung's UK expert, says: "The public has moved on faster than politics. Citizens increasingly recognise that European fragmentation comes at a cost: less security, less resilience and less influence in the world. The question is whether politicians can move beyond the divisions of the past and respond to this growing public pragmatism." Florian Kommer, Bertelsmann Stiftung's Europe Expert, says: "In 2016, many believed the Brexit referendum marked the beginning of the end for the European Union. A decade later, the picture looks very different. Our findings suggest that the space for EU-UK cooperation may be wider today than is often assumed."
