Listen With Others

KevGar’s previous puzzle could easily have been the title for this one as well. As it was, Never-ending? had the composer, Carl Nielson, as its theme.

Those of you who visit here regularly will know that Listen With Others does not enter into political debate, and this week will be no exception*. I will say that when I saw the title, my heart sank. I thought that the Listener would always be a safe sanctuary from the comings and goings at Westminster and in Brussels.

However, this week’s puzzle was a fine compilation, and was an attempt to picture the European Union after the UK left on 29th March. Packing 27 countries into the answers to give new words must have been a tough feat, but KevGar managed admirably. Bulgaria and Czechia crept in by the skin of their teeth.

The pièce de résistance was the UK/BR exiting the grid at 5dn. In the end, the UK did not leave the EU on 29th March (will it ever?). Nevertheless, that didn’t spoil this enjoyable puzzle. Thanks, KevGar.
 
 

Postscript

*Yeah, right. I voted Remain. Brexit has made this country a laughing stock around the world. The only consolation is that the USA under its current president is running us a close second!