[Z]

I think it's better to be part of the EU. Europe is now full of nations with marginal influence but when pooled together constitute another world power. The USA, Russia and China are undoubtedly the world leaders and Europe's interests are only protected if they fall in line with what the USA wants. The difference between the USA and Russia is that the US likes to hype up their "special relationships" with all the individual European countries like a married man reassuring all his girlfriends; Russia treats the countries it considers part of its sphere of influence like a circus trainer - if they comply, they are treated well (Belarus), if they don't, they're punished (Ukraine)...

Europe needs to remain a collective unit in order to have some self-sustainability. It's the economic playground for the US, Russia and China and any one nation within the EU and all related inter-European institutions would be a fool to walk away from that network.