The message from the European Union to Britain appears to be: when are you leaving. In fact many members want Britain to go sooner rather than later. No tears appear to being shed on the continent and you get the impression that some members believe that the British pullout is in fact a good opportunity for them to prosper. It must be said, though, that the European Union didn't exactly go into overdrive to try and keep Britain as a member either. There was no charm offensive in Britain by the European Union, no campaign to underline the merits of being an EU member. In fact, Brussels said very little during the referendum campaign.
Britain is still in a state of shock but the European Union is busy showing Britain the door. You would have thought that the EU might even offer Britain a better deal in a last ditch stand to keep the United Kingdom as a member. But nothing. Thank you and goodnight is the word from Brussels. The British exit is of course going to hit the European Union. Budgets will have to be slashed. But you do get the impression that some members of the European Union felt that Britain was "always causing trouble..." and was not really a fully fledged member of the European Union. Perhaps divorce was the best solution in the end. The British exit may have been a blow to the European Union but there is little sign that they want to kiss and make-up. Divorce proceedings have started.