Should EU member states have the right to leave the European Union?

Context

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states bound by treaties that theoretically allow withdrawal, but the process is complex and costly. The question of whether states should have an easy exit route has intensified since Brexit (2016-2020), when the UK invoked Article 50 to leave, exposing both the legal mechanisms and practical difficulties of departure. Today, this debate reflects tensions between national sovereignty and collective integration, with implications for EU stability, member-state autonomy, and the future architecture of European governance.