English is the lingua franca within Europe as well. And last I checked Europe displays a similar obsession with US politics as the UK does. How many Germans bot

English is the lingua franca within Europe as well. And last I checked Europe displays a similar obsession with US politics as the UK does. How many Germans bother to learn Polish or Greek or whatever, who do not have family ties there? The reason british people don't learn languages is that it is not economically beneficial for them to do so. But otherwise, I don't think it is the case that in Europe everybody is enlightened and aware of each other's national politics and culture and Britain uniquely is somehow ignorant of other countries.