Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has, over the past decade, had a complex and largely paradoxical impact on the bloc. Initially hailed by some Eurosceptic leaders as a victory and a potential catalyst for similar departures, Brexit has instead strengthened the resolve and unity of the remaining EU members.

Following the 2016 referendum, which Marine Le Pen of France’s far-right National Rally celebrated as a “Victory for Freedom,” the anticipated wave of EU exits failed to materialize. Le Pen herself notably abandoned her earlier calls for a “Frexit” after witnessing the challenges Britain faced post-Brexit. Political analysts and officials largely agree that Brexit served as a cautionary example rather than an inspiration for EU disintegration.

Observers have highlighted how the UK’s internal difficulties in negotiating its departure contrasted sharply with the EU’s coordinated response. European capitals maintained a unified front throughout the Brexit process to protect collective interests and discourage further exits. Public support for EU membership rose significantly across the continent in the years that followed, bolstered by the bloc’s coordinated responses to major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator and later French prime minister, described Brexit as a lose-lose scenario. While the EU lost a major member state—known for its diplomatic influence, military capabilities, and market openness—the 27 remaining countries managed to “mutualize” the resulting shock. Barnier contrasted this with the UK’s isolated experience navigating Brexit’s political and economic turmoil.

The departure of the UK also altered policy dynamics within the EU. Some analysts note that Britain’s absence removed a pragmatic and pro-business voice that traditionally favored less regulation and promoted free trade. Nils Schmid, a German foreign policy expert, lamented the loss of Britain’s historically “soft-touch” regulatory approach, which he sees as lacking in current EU policy initiatives.

Enrico Letta, former Italian prime minister, argued that Brexit damaged the single market by depriving it of one of its two key drivers—the European Commission and the UK. He contended that Brexit slowed progress toward establishing a capital markets union, a long-discussed reform crucial to strengthening EU competitiveness and integration. While other European cities sought to attract financial business from London post-Brexit, no single hub emerged to dominate, leading to a fragmented market that benefitted Wall Street.

The EU has responded by advancing integration on several fronts without the UK, including the unprecedented €750 billion Next Generation EU recovery fund, which demonstrated increased fiscal solidarity. The bloc has also pursued new trade agreements with countries such as Australia, Japan, and the Mercosur group and is negotiating with India and Indonesia. At the same time, the EU has adopted more French-style policies emphasizing strategic autonomy, industrial policy, state aid, and “Buy European” initiatives, trends linked more to shifting global geopolitical pressures than directly to Brexit.

Brexit has subtly reshaped internal EU politics as well. The absence of the UK has elevated the influence of Eurozone countries relative to non-Euro members and weakened the push for enlargement, which has stalled in recent years. It has also emboldened smaller member states, such as Hungary under Viktor Orbán, to leverage veto powers more aggressively, complicating collective decision-making.

Some experts suggest Brexit has strained the traditional Franco-German partnership that has historically driven the EU’s integration agenda. Without the UK acting as a counterbalance, France and Germany face each other more directly, sometimes to the detriment of cohesion within the bloc.

While outright calls for leaving the EU have diminished among most Eurosceptic parties, they still represent a significant internal challenge. France’s National Rally, currently leading in polls ahead of next year’s presidential election, advocates for leaving the EU’s electricity market, withdrawing from immigration and asylum policies, and drastically reducing France’s financial contributions to the EU budget—positions that echo disputes Britain once had with Brussels.

For EU leaders, the immediate shock of Brexit has largely faded, overshadowed by more pressing issues such as energy security, the war in Ukraine, a global cost of living crisis, and geopolitical tensions with the United States and China. German officials note that the Trump administration’s hostility toward European integration—shaped in part by British Euroscepticism—constitutes a lasting effect of Brexit, underscoring the broader geopolitical reverberations of the UK’s departure from the EU.