Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas has just called for the right of individual EU member states to veto decisions to be scrapped, arguing that the 27-member bloc cannot be held back by single nation hold-outs. He didn’t say “now Britain has gone” – though he might as well have done.

“We can no longer be held hostage by those who paralyse European foreign policy through their vetoes,” Maas said, accusing those doing so of “playing with Europe’s cohesion. I therefore say quite openly: the veto must go – even if that means we too can be outvoted.”

Maas did not name names, however Hungary has recently blocked EU foreign policy statements. Ireland will veto tax harmonisation. Greece has had issues with the EU majority’s stance towards Turkey. Many nations have strategic national interests protected by their veto.

In a public row last month, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto slammed the EU’s “one-sided” statements on Israel as his European counterparts called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians. Without Britain to protect them, some EU states may come to realise just how much the EU is a German racket…