The EU already have been changing. I mean, regardless it original intent, it’s been a while it introduced things like a common currency, free work and living among it’s citizens and a common market. That is already working and people have seen it’s advantages. In the same way that USA started being just a coalition of states but now is a country, EU works as a block. Sure it has problems, but it has more advantages.
People who support Brexit would deny it all they want, but they have asked for extra time negotiating because they don’t want a hard brexit. And they don’t want that because being completelly independent would also mean being isolated and have to pay their way for all the things. From security in the borders (which was provided on EU level) to air traffic, sea travel, common security, for trading, health organizations and so on. People tend to forget sinergies.
For example: as “zombie movies show”, if you left untreated a dissease, it tends to propagate. So if you decide that inmigrant shouldn’t be treated, then you would end treating 20 nationals that got in touch with the inmigrant that you refused to treat. In the same way, if you decide that you aren’t part of europe, then France have no real interest on stoping the inmigrants who decide to continue to UK. After all, France only care of EU. And the tunel that connects UK with the continent? Maintenance might be less important to EU once UK stop being part of them. We can continue with many things that we take from granted but that are the result of collaboration.
With Calaluña happenes the same. Even now I keep receiving offers to work there since they need more qualified labor. I have several friends that come from other parts of Spain that would return home if Cataluña becomes independent. And it is not just work, it is access to common market, they sell their products to the rest of Spain. And buy things like food and industrial products from other parts of Spain. Point is, their economy and living is connected to Spain. They could become independant, but it would have a high cost that right now is downplayed by the politicians that want the independence.
As I said, I would wait to see what happen with the Brexit to learn from that. At least that would give them information to make a real plan instead of relying on rethoric and good will. But right now they think the only obstacle is Madrid and that is not true. There are plenty of difficulties and their politicians can’t even agree on basic things like who would be considered Catalan. Apparently, they want to claim that people like me and my friends that were born on other regions would be Catalanes even if they don’t want to be and were born in other regions… So, not that simple.
