Why did Brexit win? Well, first bear in mind it’s not unusual for the EU to lose referenda. Before the end of the Cold War, the only votes it lost were in Norway (1972) and Greenland (1973). But in 1992, the Maastricht Treaty almost lost in France (51.1 percent in favor) and did lose in Denmark (50.7 percent against). In 2000 and 2003, Denmark and Sweden rejected the Euro, and in 2001, Ireland rejected the Treaty of Nice.