Germans used to see the UK as a pragmatic, cautious nation. The leave vote has blown away the foundations of what people believe the British character to be
On Sunday night, I was watching Hungary play Belgium in a rowdy beer garden at Tempelhofer Feld, once a military airfield, now Berlin’s largest public park. Germany had just won their match against Slovakia 3-0, and men on their fourth pilsner were noisily reliving the highlights. But when the news came on at half time, the entire garden suddenly fell eerily silent.
“It’s a topsy-turvy world”, the news reader said. “From Brussels’ point of view, Great Britain is out of the EU … but suddenly London is not so sure.” Jaws dropped around my table. One person banged his head on the table in mock despair.
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