For the French, Brexit means less than Donald Trump’s election and much, much less than the prospect of a Le Pen victory

Most French people woke up surprised by the outcome of the Brexit referendum, writes Sébastien Maillard. Before the vote, they would say to each other, “At the end of the day, Brits will not dare do it. They are much too pragmatic to actually leave.” Now, with the benefit of hindsight, they nod sagely: “This result wasn’t that surprising after all, was it?”

“The Brits never really felt they were part of the family, did they?” says a student at the Sorbonne, who would have felt the EU much more damaged, if not mortally wounded, were Germany or Italy to exit. For the French, Brexit is not the end of the world, nor the end of Europe. It won’t change their daily lives all of a sudden. It’s just bad news that sends a warning signal.

“Brexit is not as frightening as the election of Donald Trump in the US,” adds another student in a Parisian café, putting it in perspective.