There is, again, quite a bit to be unpacked here. Most that had any qualms about the post-brexit situation seem to have been able to SOLI out or do not care as they do not have the right to live and work in the EU anyway. Just judging by the number of posters on the SOLI threads compared to this one. Therefore, not a big problem right now for the industry.
Yes, of course the whole mess was caused by the UK government. First by the decision to leave the EU, and then, by the decision to just want to have a very thin trade deal and the wish to be treated as a normal third country, none of which has a license acceptance or grandfather scheme with the EU. EASA in itself is not deciding anything there, it is simply applying the letter of the EU regulations, nothing more, nothing less. The EU commission could of course negotiate something else if their counterparts wish to do that, if there is any incentive for them to do so, which would be only the case if there was a major demand from member states.
And of course, UK issued licenses were fully recognized as long as the UK CAA was a local authority under the EASA oversight. Since january 1st the CAA is not seen as a competent authority anymore since it does not have the full capability as a regulator, shown in fact by the willy-nilly acceptance of licenses over which they have absolutely no regulatory oversight. The CAA has to earn the trust of other authorities over time, but has not yet done so.
There has been no change to any EU regulated profession as none of the 19 TCA committees has started working yet, however, many professions are not regulated on an EU level and can be regulated differently in each member state. Currently there is no ongoing process to change the status of any EU regulated profession, which does include pilots. There is no need for that as there is no shortage in suitably qualified personnel in the EU anyway, therefore the UK would have to give the EU major concessions to change the status quo, the UK is currently seen in the EU as unreliable or even hostile and would have a lot of convincing to do.