The Catalan Government stresses that no treaty says that an independent Catalonia would be out of the European Union

Barcelona (ACN).- The Catalan Presidency Minister, Francesc Homs, insisted that there is no automatic mechanism in the EU treaties to kick out a separated part of a Member State from the Union, although neither are there automatic mechanisms to ensure it remains within the EU. The Catalan Government’s Spokesperson stated that everything depends on the political will and negotiations. In fact, he was hoping to hold such talks at Spanish level but also including the EU institutions, “because too many interests are at stake”. He added that the most pressing question is whether the Catalan people can hold a self-determination referendum, and that the EU debate is used as a distraction from this first issue. “The key question we have on the table is: can we vote [on Catalonia’s self-determination] or not? They are looking for side issues to avoid answering the key question. In today’s Europe, in a democratic state can we vote or not?”, he wondered.

Homs was answering the statement made by Joaquín Almunía, the Spanish Vice President of the European Commission, which was later backed by the Spokesperson of the international institution. Almunía said on Monday that an independent Catalonia would automatically be kicked out of the EU. The European Commission backed Almunia’s statement as “a general principle” but it insisted that it would only issue its definitive conclusions on the basis of specific cases, opening the door to nuances. In fact, eleven months ago Almunía stated that this issue “is not a black and white one” and that “it would be dishonest [...] to give a strict answer”, since “there are nuances”.