On an earlier note This from a BBC post would tend to add some weight to Wales Bales' comment about the German Economy (God forgive me )

"With the deadline for a Brexit decision looming next week on 12 April, Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer believes the risk of the UK leaving without a deal have "risen dramatically". This is something German business find no laughing matter.

A recent poll suggested 100,000 German jobs could be affected by a no-deal Brexit.

The BDI Federation of German Industry warned Germany would lose at least 0.5% of its GDP - and this at a time when the German economy is already heading south.

That, I think, is why there is a sudden, noticeable softening in tone when EU leaders speak about Brexit."

Ms Kramp-Kerrenbaur is the leader-in-waiting to take over from Merkel, so we should give her the benefit of some insight to the problem. The loss of GPD to an economy already faltering in an organisation with acknowledged financial and funding problems (recession, Italy and Greek debt problems etc) would have no small affect on the overall economic outlook.