1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Bregret: Why many Britons regret leaving the EU

42:34

This browser does not support the video element.

June 20, 2025

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the EU. In 2020, the exit took place. Years later, none of the Brexit promises have been kept.

In the face of a deep economic and social crisis, many Britons now believe that leaving the European Union was a mistake. There is a great deal of anger in society, cutting across all generations. The anger is felt both among those who voted for Brexit, and those who voted to remain in the European Union. Since the referendum, five prime ministers have resigned in succession—four of them with a bang—because they were unable to fulfill their populist promises. How did this political chaos come about?

Many Britons are now talking about "Bregret”—regret about the exit. The film explores the future of this increasingly divided kingdom. What legacy will former Prime Minister Boris Johnson leave behind? What direction will the country take, in this complex transition period? From initial hope to current regret, this investigation provides a detailed overview of the post-Brexit era in the UK.

For more on this series, follow this link

Skip next section About the show

About the show

DocFilm

Exciting stories, a wide variety of topics, fascinating pictures: every day, half or three-quarters of an hour of carefully researched background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW