After the British voted to leave the EU there have been political figures in Britain and the EU expressing their joy or fear (depending on the side they are on) that the EU will disintegrate.

The immediate calls for similar referenda in the Netherlands and France by the leaders of far-right parties may give the impression the EU is doomed.

However, I think that, in the months and few years ahead, when the post-referendum facts are weighed against the myths, half-truths and outright lies expressed by the Brexit camp, people across Europe will realise that even though there are obligations by being an EU member, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

The real impact on Britain will be a determining factor on whether anti-European sentiment will increase.

Demonising the EU for years may have an effect many Brexit voters did not imagine for Britain.

The chickens-turned-ostriches will come home to roost. It is indeed bizarre that so many people in the UK, and even in Malta, still think that Brexit, even after the referendum result, may not actually happen.

Journalists-turned-politicians, like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, preferred sound bites than solid substance. Knowingly, they did the work of the EU chief demoniser, Nigel Farage.

The result of the UK referendum may well become a stark reminder to those of us in the EU that the benefits obtained through membership will only be deeply felt when we actually lose them.

Of course, the EU will need to evolve but not in the way the far-right parties want it.

At this stage in European history, populations need to be reminded of what the EU is and what its origins were. In this way, we may better appreciate that if your arm needs regular painful injections to heal, then there is no need of an amputation.