Well, I'd say "because it'd be what's best for people in EU countries" but I don't honestly believe the EU cares about that, beyond perhaps avoiding mass expuls

Well, I'd say "because it'd be what's best for people in EU countries" but I don't honestly believe the EU cares about that, beyond perhaps avoiding mass expulsions on both sides. So far they seem more interested in securing payments into their pensions. So my view is that they have no incentive to give the UK a good deal. This does not imply the UK should have remained. They have no incentive because they aren't accountable to the people, except via very indirect and essentially broken ways, and besides lots of Europeans buy the argument that they must suffer to preserve the union.