We feel so intensely European, that I speak for us at least when I say that we cannot understand why Catalonia wants to become separate, or the English, I cannot understand it because it offers so many advantages... (Participant no.6, German woman, 60 years old).

Or the English. (Participant no.1, German man, 48 years old).

Yes, or the English. I totally agree... if you just compare it with before... now you can go anywhere, the currency is the same, you can easily compare, the prices, the services... (Participant no.2, German woman, 57 years old).

I believe that anyone who has not understood this is trying to go back 50 years. Everything is already so intertwined, everything, you can see for example in the official pages of the British: they report that there are now 30,000 laws that need to be rewritten or voted on again. That is not possible, it is not something that can happen. And besides, it is not just a practical issue, life on a day-to-day basis also has to do with politics at a higher level. As far as we are concerned, at our age, we could no longer comprehend a life without it. (Participant no.3, man, 57 years old).

I’m not that sure either that I would be living here now without the EU. I arrived in Spain with 100 (German) marks in my pocket, at that time we still used marks, I was stressed out for two weeks with the authorities, and I became self-employed. In Spain. And I could start working. (Participant no.1, German man, 48 years old).

That would not have been possible otherwise. (Participant no.5, woman, 73 years old).

It probably would have been possible, but I don’t know, I don’t think I would have accepted that challenge, given the circumstances, because that way they hand it to you on a platter [sic]. And when I retire, all I have to do is go to Germany, submit the documents from here that prove that I have worked, and they themselves calculate and supplement what I have worked and I will receive a European pension. Is there anything better than that? I don’t think so. I get my information from both the Spanish and the German press, and it’s really interesting, because they offer very different points of view and perspectives. (Participant no.1, German man, 48 years old).

The data obtained reveal how personal historical background together with a very positive view of Europe is and has been a key factor in establishing residence in Spain, but at the same time that it will be difficult to fully accomplish the process of integration. The results show that 59% of those surveyed always feel “at home” on the Costa del Sol, 35%, “most of the time”, only 5%, “sometimes” and “never”, 1%. The perception that Germans have of the integration of other European residents is quite different: 60% feel “somewhat integrated” and 35% “not integrated at all”.

When analysing the attitude of Germans towards integration and the factors that increase or slow down their process of integration on the Costa del Sol, the surveys indicate that 62% have taken Spanish classes at some time, 90% have Spanish friends or acquaintances and 59% belong to a sports, cultural or social club. These associations tend to play an important role in the process of integration of their fellow citizens. In the case of our German respondents, however, these results must be put into perspective because if we check the situation behind the survey data, we will see that the associations to which they belong are essentially made up of compatriots and a few other Europeans. Something similar happens when we take a more careful look at the fact that 90% have Spanish friends or acquaintances, as most of them complain about the difficulty of maintaining a closer or continuous relationship with them. Hence, 51% maintain their daily social rela-