Lol why would the UK need to follow in Yugoslavias footsteps?
Have you read article 50? Do you know what a customs union is? This isnt jail or the Russian mob, countries have the right to depart if they want without pissing off the whole of Europe ,
As well as Europe being angry for two years theyve also made it as difficult as possible for the UK to leave and used the international media to trash them? So who would want to stick around for that behaviour ??
Hey, what did UK expect, that EU will reward it and give it all sorts of benefits for leaving? It is only natural that EU will protect its interests. Personally, I would not grant the UK customs union. It only wants benefits of the EU but non of the obligations. I hope it doesn't happen.
The EU did not try to make it hard to leave for you, but to protect itself from UK's disruptivness.
Its not disruptive to exit a union which has clauses that give rights to exit the union. This is available to all countries and what is mob politics is having the EU drag a country through bad press for three years because they want to leave. You might think thats the appropriate way to behave, well its not. Sure being fair and accepting the UK into the single market will be lovely. But dont think if that option is taken away that there are no more options on the table. Its very easy to get more business when you change your tax tariffs and become a tax haven, lots of businesses would love to take advantage of lower taxes and relocate for that purpose. Liechenstein , Iceland , Switzerland and Norway are not in the EU and they pay into the single market. Liechtenstein is the 8th richest country in the world and have you seen how successful the Swiss are in business?
The EUs attitude is very clear now, we can see it for what it is through this experience of pettiness and threats of economic isolation. The UK will power through long term without a deal and open itself up to global trade
dream on, uk is divided its a society in which the rich scam the poor, without the EU there is nothing protecting them. after brexit uk becomes a hostile cuba that is very questionable and wants as you said, leech its neigbourhood as a "tax heaven" thats another reason to seek the slicing appart. of it, like jugoslaqia, divide et empera.
gibraltar will be soon spanish againm falklands argentinian no one in europe will protect/help you.