Regarding the myth of the EU status quo I am going to do some digging around and have a pop at France.
Simply because France lay at the "heart of darkness" in the birth of the current setup, from the coal and steel community to what we have today.

"France, quite rightly looks to its own interests in all things, why shouldn't the UK do the same ?
The EU has put itself at a major disadvantage by creating the Euro which was not properly founded on even the most basic principles of a common currency. Because it wasn't done properly, it has become the engine for all the eurozone's ailments and worse, in the past 5 years, no attempt has been made to sort it out. The consequence is that today you have two choices, break the currency up or become a Federal European State where the nation states as political entities cease to exist.
To do this, you need to ask the voters of each country whether they agree with this, no sign of that happening is there ?
Next year there are elections in both Germany and France which is just one more reason why our PM has caved in with his negotiations.
These could see Merkel removed from office because of her mishandling of the refugee crisis and Marine Pen as the French President. The EU is in a mess of its own making and whether the British stay or leave will have no impact on the consequences of the foolishness of the eurozone leaders which has brought their countries to such a sorry state."
- abstracted from elsewhere with a modicum of additional commentary.

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Dave

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand