The Guardian has already rounded up the reaction of European governments to a British government that thinks the unthinkable and tries to achieve subsidiarity (in their terms). Repatriation will become a long-running sore for any Tory government as they face political elites who connived at and conspired with our governing party to disenfranchise the British people.
The more opposition the better. Let us hope they isolate Britain in Europe and avoid engaging with the settled wishes of a democratically elected government. That will force the issue sooner rather than later.