They called us racists and fascists
EU mission to Catalonia

„Catalan is not in danger“ is one of the statements made by Yana Toom, the Estonian President of the 12-member European Commission, during her official visit to Catalonia.

The visit to Catalonia was completed this week. The Commission was hindered in its work by the Catalan government. The Euro-deputies, who were supposed to examine linguistic immersion in schools, were bombarded with accusations by separatists. These ranged from accusations of fascism („“Nos han llamado racistas y fascistas„“) to accusations that they had been manipulated by the PP.

Why speak Spanish in Spain?
Language imposition for Spanish?

Article 3.1 of the Spanish Constitution reads: „Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State. All Spaniards have the duty to know it and the right to use it.“ (Castilian = Spanish) This would mean that a minimum proportion of lessons must be taught in Spanish, even in the regions with a regional language.

One concern is that the demand that parents should have the right to choose the language of instruction for their children is too radical if it means that children in these regions will no longer learn Spanish. One critic wrote: „It is unacceptable that there are pupils who complete their entire schooling exclusively in Valencian, Galician or Basque, as a lack of knowledge of the common language of Spain, namely Spanish, jeopardizes the future existence of the country, i.e. Spain,“ and refers to the constitutional article quoted above.

Without a regional language?
Parental rights and children's welfare

The demand „For the right of parents to choose the language of instruction for their children“ has repeatedly met with resistance. Even among many who otherwise support the right to freedom of choice of language and the fight against language imposition.

These critics are driven by many motives. Concerns range from „Valenciano/Catalan etc. should not die out“ to „Children's welfare may be jeopardized by exercising parental rights if they don't learn Spanish.“ I have tried to address these concerns.

Supreme Court of Valencia: You must learn Valenciano!
Language imposition continues in Valencia!

„You must learn at least 25% in Valenciano“ is how the latest ruling by the highest Valencian court could be summarized. It had thus ruled against the appeal of a mother from Torrevieja who had wanted her daughter to be taught entirely in her native Spanish.

The decision was made in relation to the still existing so-called multilingualism law (ley de plurilingüismo) of the previous government, which was formed by the social democratic PSOE and Compromís, an association of Greens and the right-wing nationalist „Bloc Nacionalista Valencià“.

Extreme Spanish nationalists act like the CDR
Amnesty or deal?

The socialist Spanish President Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) has negotiated an amnesty with the leader of Junts (conservative separatists), Carles Puigdemont, so that Junts will give him their vote in the parliamentary re-election on November 27.

Protests against such an amnesty have been taking place for days by conservative Spanish nationalists all over Spain, which have now been used by fascist elements to use massive violence in front of the PSOE headquarters in Madrid. This is a situation that we are otherwise familiar with from the separatist CDR (Comités de Defensa de la República) in Barcelona.

But there are also calls for demonstrations in Valencia against the amnesty and attempts to be taken in by the Catalan separatists (No als Països Catalans). There are even fears that Sánchez wants to grant the separatists an unconstitutional referendum in order to maintain his power.

What justifies a fight for independence?
Peace and freedom with Països Catalans?

The president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón, fights in the Senate against separatism. He protests: „The Valencian Community is not Catalonia“ and accuses Catalan President Aragonès of insulting Valencians with his references to the „Països Catalans“ (Catalan lands).

Those who have followed the complications in the formation of the government in Spain know that the incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has allowed three regional languages, Basque, Galician and Catalan for official use in the Spanish Parliament, disregarding Valenciano¹.

In this context, Sánchez also allows Catalan embassies to act on behalf of a Catalan state, Vozpopuli reported on Oct. 13. Only he has not yet given in to the demands of Catalan separatists to hold a referendum on independence.

Away from the political games of the Spanish ruling parties, the question arises under which circumstances could a referendum for independence be legitimate and worthy of support at all?

Sexual education in foreign language
Why parents should decide on the language of instruction

In Vinarós, a town in the Comunidad Valenciana, a book in Valenciano is being offered for sex education in school. There is resistance to this, as El País reported this week.

The right-wing VOX had vetoed it in the town hall, citing many complaints from parents, and the socialist mayor Guillem Alsina accused VOX of „idological politicization.“

It is possible to have different opinions about the sexual education of children. The extremes are certainly VOX - influenced by the Spanish Catholic Church with its Francist tradition - and those ideologists who see more than two sexes. But that is not the point here.

How politicians understand citizens' rights
citizens' rights for sale

It has been decided that Galician, Basque and Catalan, but not Valenciano, will be allowed as languages in the Spanish Parliament and the necessary funds have been made available for this with immediate effect. González Pons, spokesperson for the Partido Popular Europeo (PPE) notes: „This means that Valenciano will be abolished as a language and can be considered Catalan in Congress and in Europe.“

José Antonio Rovira, new Valencian Education Minister, demands: „We want Valencian children to learn Valenciano and not Catalan“.

In July, families were still explicitly demanding: „an end to the 'linguistic imposition' of Valencianio not only in Castilian-speaking areas“. On 24 September, Mazón, the new Valencian president, instead decreed that he would „abolish the 'language policy' and the imposition of Valenciano in Castilian-speaking areas.“

Language imposition as a means of politics
Can Spain learn from the war in Ukraine?

For anyone who reads more than just the German leading media, it has been obvious for some time that NATO's war against Russia in Ukraine in its current form will most likely come to an end this autumn. Russia is the winner so far, militarily and economically. The main losers are the Ukrainian and Russian victims. Unfortunately, this does not secure peace and the further course of the conflict remains speculative.

It remains an interesting question to what extent Ukraine's language policy, which suppresses the minority languages Hungarian, Romanian and Russian, played a part in the warlike development and what could be learned from it in Spain.

Pandora*s box?
Triumph for a future Catalan empire?

In order to secure his seat as prime minister, Pedro Sanchez promised the Catalans that Catalan would not only be allowed as a language in the Spanish parliament, but that the EU would also have Catalan as an official language.

Of course, the Galicians and the Basques immediately shouted „we too!“ and were included on Sanchez's wish list. Were the Valencians forgotten? Can this be explained by the fact that the Catalans see the Balearic Islands and Valencia as part of their empire and that Sanchez has therefore not forgotten Valencia, but has simply followed the wishes of the „Països Catalans“?

In search of explanations
Is that left-wing politics?

Yolanda Diaz launched the left-wing movement SUMAR in Spain and, together with the social-democratic PSOE, achieved a result in the July 23 elections that would allow the left to take over the government if they formed an alliance with the more or less separatist movements in the corresponding autonomous regions of Spain.

In order to make such an alliance possible, she has now offered that all languages spoken in Spain should be allowed in the Spanish parliament.

What does this mean for working Spaniards, for whom the Spanish left feels responsible?

Antonio Jimeno comments
It is much more than the language of instruction

I The president of the teachers' union AMES, Antonio Jimeno, wrote a commentary on the expected language policy under the above-mentioned title and „The teaching of the mother tongue should continue until the end of primary Elementary School, that is, until the age of 11.“ The Elementary school in Spain usually lasts 6 years, after which the ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) follows.

I have translated the comment.

Between the elections
What's next for the language imposition?

I know some, whether Spanish or EU citizens, who voted for VOX in the local and regional elections on May 28, 2023 because they want to send their children to school again without language imposition and without extreme sex education. Others were more concerned with the social issues associated with a vote against the expected PP-VOX coalition.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, after the huge losses in these elections, has set a national parliamentary election (in which EU citizens are not eligible to vote) for July 23. Thus, Spain is in a phase in which all parties, on the one hand, still have to uphold the election promises, and on the other hand, should already take decisions in the regional governments and town halls.

Statement from „Hablamos Español“
Assessment of the PP-VOX pact on the language issue

Yesterday evening I received the statement of the organization „Hablamos Español“. I agree with the statement almost completely.

I have therefore translated the statement:

A strong announcement
Get the ideology out of the classrooms

The new Valencian president announced that he had already named the person for the Ministry of Education who would put an end to ideology in the classrooms. „This ministry is the most sensitive area of the future government with Vox, the first in a community with a two official languages.“ (El Mundo)

This announcement coincides with a ruling by the highest Valencian court that wants to put an end to „discrimination against Spanish in classrooms“ (Las Provincias)

What can we expect from these promises?

Quo Vadis German Costa Nachrichten?
Screwed up understanding of integration or hidden election campaign or what?

Under the headline: „Successful integration: A German woman on the Costa Blanca scores with Valenciano“, the German newspaper Costa Nachrichten published this week a curious article, in which a German woman is presented, who learns Valenciano and was therefore interviewed by the Valencian television station „A Punt“.

In the article, statements emerge such as, „After all, I'm taking a Valenciano course to integrate myself“ and (the) „Love of the regional culture will certainly have been one reason why Teulada-Moraira's Compromís party knocked on the German's door for a place on the list for the 2023 municipal elections. She ... One more building block for successful integration, to which not only, but certainly also the Valenciano, so hated by many foreign residents“ ... and that she is married to a „real Valencian“.

Statements that, in my opinion, require a closer look, because basically it is not worth a newspaper report if someone learns another language.

Ideology vs. reality
As a foreigner in Catalonia

Under the headline „Sublime response of a Frenchman when he stays in a hotel in Catalonia and he is addressed in Catalan“, el.Catalán.es reports this weekend about the stay of a Spanish-speaking Frenchman in Catalonia.

It happens again and again that separatists think that foreigners coming to Catalonia should speak Catalan. I myself can tell of such experiences. For example, my sons (fluent in Spanish) and I were asked to speak English instead at a campsite. However, this form of communication failed due to the lack of English skills of our separatism inclined interlocutors.