Quote Originally Posted by xsnaggle View Post
While I appreciate what you say there is no way that anyone can say negotiated differently we would have got a better deal, or that we ever will. The EU is a protectionist bloc and would always seek to drive the hardest possible bargain. They would do everything in their power to prevent it completely if they can. The only reason they are helping now is because they know a no-deal exit will hurt them as much as us, and nation states like Germany are beginning to grasp how much it will hurt their economies.

I believe the EU don't want us to leave because if we kept a successful economy, or even improve, then it will encourage other countries to consider an opt out, ( Greece? Italy? Germany? Holland?)and that will destroy the dream, which is now admitted is a federal europe, a political end-game, which previously was never admitted. We joined a common market for our goods, and that is the way it should have stayed.
It's certainly in the EU's interests to avoid no deal. They would suffer because of it.

But to suggest a country like Germany would be hurt just as much as the UK is insane. The majority of citizens of other EU countries, with the exception of Ireland, won't notice much difference to their actual day to day lives.