Pol Pagès, 26, lives in Barcelona. He supports the independence of Catalonia within the EU
By Fiona Govan
“I’m from Catalonia and I feel Catalan and European – not Spanish. So, I’m from the hidden Europe, from that part of the continent where its inhabitants are not comfortable within the state they are living. Catalonia has its own institutions, language and culture and enjoys autonomy from Spain, so it runs itself as a nation inside another nation, with all the problems that brings.
I’m enthusiastic about the values that the EU represents: peace, freedom, democracy and development. But Catalans cannot help build Europe because it’s a union of states, and governments still exert too much power over European citizenry.
So, Catalonia has two options: change Europe or become a state. Changing the EU is a matter of all citizens and countries, becoming a state depends on our democratic will.
If we won independence, we would become the ninth largest European country by population, of a total of 28. ”
