The articles in this special issue contribute not just to a better and much-needed understanding of Brexit and its impact on ordinary lives, inside as well as outside the UK. The Irish, (ex-)Yugoslavian, Hungarian and French histories throw the Brexit conundrum into interesting and timely perspectives. They teach us to appreciate that we can no longer afford to regard Brexit as an exception to the rule. We have to take it seriously as both a sign of the times and a harbinger of the future. The rise of populism has thrown this question into sharp relief. More and more member states experience Eurosceptical tendencies, and although the strength and form of these vary substantially among nations, they all pivot around popular and political emotions that hanker for more national sovereignty and less European integration.