Despite its, Spain has not yet managed to convince all its European partners to accept its proposal that Catalan, Galician and Basque become official languages in the EU. Although many capitals claim to “understand” the position of Madrid and value the efforts of the Government of Pedro Sánchez for presenting a proposal to open precedents with other minority languages, sufficient “legal and financial” doubts persist sufficient that slow down the project.
Given the impossibility of achieving the unanimity required, the presidency on the Polish shift has decided to postpone the vote of the proposal that Spain had set for this Tuesday in Brussels, and that required a unanimity that quickly became clear that it is not yet secured.
“There was a wide number of countries that were willing to approve them, but a smaller number has asked us for more time and we have decided to give it to it. We will continue working and dialogue,” said spokesman, Pilar Alegría from Madrid, confirming what happened in Brussels behind closed doors.
As explained by Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, in statements to TV3, there are seven countries with doubts about the proposal and “consider that more work is necessary.” A figure that some diplomatic sources in Brussels rise to up to 10 capitals. When the point of the European official of the Spanish co -official languages began to be discussed, around noon, several states openly requested the postponement of the vote, according to the sources. In any case, for a proposal that required consensus, it was quickly clear that it would not be achieved in this event, the first in more than a year in which the Spanish proposal was discussed again. The important thing, said Albares, is that “the theme continues on the table to achieve that unanimity.”
Which was clear at least since the beginning of the General Affairs Council (CAG) on Tuesday in Brussels. “Linguistic diversity is important, and we want to continue discussing it, but I hope we don’t have to vote today because I don’t think the issue is already mature to vote,” the Finnish minister for European affairs, Joakim Strand told reporters.
Of the European representatives who pronounced publicly before the Spanish point began to be discussed, only Denmark and Slovenia openly said that they would support Spain if a vote was proposed. The others, without necessarily giving a not as resounding as the Finn, implied that the alleged doubts were difficult to resolve in a meeting in which the issue of Catalan occupied about an hour of the agenda of the ministers and secretaries of state present.
“I totally understand the Spanish position and I am aware that it is a really important issue for Spain,” said Swedish Minister of European Affairs, Jessica Rosencrantz. At the same time, however, he recalled that both “Sweden and several other countries have asked questions during this process about legal evaluations, on cost evaluation” that do not seem solved. Also a very reluctant France for minority languages to open their way both in Europe and at the national level, but reticent at the same time to say no to the Spanish Government in such a crucial issue for President Pedro Sánchez, played inaccuracy: “I know it is a very important issue for our Spanish friends,” said the delegated minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad. “We want to find a solution, advance with our Spanish friends. But you have to do consensus and with respect to law and texts [legales] Europeans, ”he insisted, as he promised that“ we will work together to find a solution ”, although without setting a date for it.
“There are still some open issues on legal issues and also about the costs of that proposal, and we will talk about it later,” corroborated the Austrian minister for Europe, integration and family, Claudia Plakolm. “We would like to know something more about the legal and financial implications,” agreed the Secretary of Croatian State, Andreja Metelko-Zgombic.
“We understand the importance of this issue for Spain. Cyprus has constantly supported it, precisely for this reason,” explained the European Minister of European Affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raoua. At the same time, said the representative of a country with an official minority language, the Turk, but not recognized at European level or intentions to ask for it, it is important that the Spanish step “does not believe a precedent.” “The important thing is to be done legally solid and that it does not believe a precedent,” he insisted.
Albares has assured on TV3 that he will contact “this afternoon” with the ministers of the countries with doubts: “We can work.” Spanish has explained that Spanish co -official languages are speaking to them “20 million people.” “We are not asking for anything extravagant. It is an inalienable and irreversible commitment of the Spanish government. We have to talk to those seven member states,” he insisted. And he recalled that these languages speak much more than others that are already official. “I hope that all parties talk to the governments of those seven countries to explain that this is the reality in our cities,” he added on TV3.
In this sense, he has requested unanimity from the Spanish parties. “Here we have to find all the Spaniards,” said Albares in reference to complaints against the PP to maneuver in Europe to sabotage the recognition of Catalan, Basque and Galician. The Foreign Minister has piloted this operation for more than two years.
