Javier Lizón / EFE Agency
Pedro Sánchez receives Junts spokeswoman, Miriam Nogueras, at Palacio de la Moncloa
Spain intends to make the Catalan official language of the European Union, but several countries resist the idea. At least seven have expressed concerns about the costs and political implications of the measure that Sánchez relates to defense expenses.
The rejection of the Catalan language as an official language in Brussels may trigger a Political Crisis in Madrid.
Em 2023, in exchange for support necessary to form a minority government, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchezestablished an elaborate agreement with the Catalan separatists, in which he pledged to get the Catalan, the Basque and Galician were recognized as official EU languages.
The measure requires the unanimous support of the 27 member countries of the block, and the Spanish employees spent the last two years to do lobby with the European capitals for support.
Next week, Spain intends to bring the matter to the vote on the General Council Council, the agency that prepares the periodic meetings of the bloc leaders in Brussels.
But documents that summarize this week’s meeting of the block ambassadors, to which they had access, indicate serious doubts regarding Madrid’s proposal.
Portugal, Belgium, Cyprus Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia support The recognition of the EU to the additional official languages of Spain.
However, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden supported the Requirements of Italy for “greater clarity on the costs and legal implications of the measure ”.
Madrid promised to pay the account of the potential millions of euros to add languages to the EU translation and interpretation framework. But Sánchez’s promise did not convince all his colleagues on the EU council.
EU countries that oppose themselves are concerned with the impact that the addition of official languages could have in theBlock Roce. The EU currently spends more than billion euros per year to translate all lawsproposals and decisions of the EU – past, present and future – for the 24 official EU languages.
It is unclear The more money it would be necessary to incorporate the additional languages of Spain in this group. EU countries are not convinced that Madrid would assume these costs indefinitely, says the politician.
Political factors are also an important consideration. France, for example, has a national policy against the recognition of minority languages domestic such as the Basque, Breton and Corso.
The Minority Government of Sánchez has not yet been able to approve a budget during your current term. The country is under pressure To allocate more public money to meet NATO’s requirements for the increase in defense expenses.
An EU diplomat told the politician that Spain argued with other member countries that the addition of additional EU official languages would allow, in turn, Unlock essential national financing to increase Spain’s defense capabilities.
The Spanish government Need the favorable votes of Junts, separatist party Catalan founded and led by Carles Puigdemontto approve legislation.
But party members are increasingly irritated With the lack of progress in the linguistic issue, which was a fundamental part of the agreement signed with the Socialist Party of Sánchez in 2023. And not fulfilling that commitment could put the support of the separatists to the government of Sánchez.
