They're going to kick us out of the EU? We'll be the Norway of the Mediterranean

I think that we should say that if Barroso, Margallo, Van Rompuy or whoever wants to kick us out of the EU that we then choose to be the Norway or Switzerland of the Mediterranean. And if that's what we choose, it's the EU who loses out. Instead of falling into the trap of trying to deny those who say that something or other is going to happen and to speculate about Catalonia and the EU, I think we should have enough self esteem and enough awareness of our own strengths to say, first, that the decision is up to us and we will decide; that maybe with all this pressure and all these threats we'll end up choosing something that we hadn't even considered, but that now we find it's not such a bad idea, like being like Norway, Switzerland or Iceland, and belonging to EFTA, which means we'd have the advantages of free movement without having to the EU's political bills, that is, of the European institutions, the European Parliament, the Commission. That's pretty attractive.

Catalonia is a net contributor and our mental position shouldn't be like Spain's which is clearly a receiver state in the EU. Our mental attitude should be like Norway's and Switzerland's or could be like Denmark's or Sweden's, that is, countries who have decided if it's in their interest to be an EU member state or not. When they start to threaten us with expulsion, we should react with confidence and tranquility and say, "I don't know, we'll see, maybe…"

We have to look in the mirror and realize that in Europe's eyes we are good looking indeed. If we have this perspective, which is well grounded, given that we are net contributors, then we don't have to worry if they'll make us leave or not. We have to start thinking whether it's to our advantage to stay. We have to turn the conversation around, turn this attack on its head, we have to be more confident. It's like when the Spanish powers-that-be tell us that we can't vote. Exercising our self esteem is very important: because we have to declare that voting is the most natural thing in the world. We still have to take this step and say that we are attractive. Why don't we think Catalonia is attractive for itself, for its production level, for the benefits it brings to the European treasury? If we are conscious of that, the fear-mongering will dissolve like a sugar cube. It's a question of mental, psychological, and collective emancipation, of not underestimating ourselves.

We have to be realistic. We are seven and a half million consumers and producers, net contributors. What do we have to be afraid of? The question is what's the matter with the politicians of the EU, the Euro-commissioners, the MEPs… They're going to kick us out? Well, then we'll become the Norway of the Mediterranean. That will hurt the EU and obviously also Spain. But that's their problem.

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We have to look in the mirror and realize that in Europe's eyes we are good looking indeed.