The Spanish language would be official in the new Catalan state, says pro-Independence leader

Oriol Junqueras

Oriol Junqueras is the President of the largest explicitly pro-independence party in Catalonia. The former Member of the European Parliament is, moreover, the mayor of Sant Vicenç dels Horts which, as he says, “is a town in the Baix Llobregat region (near Barcelona) whose population is 80% Spanish-speaking, i.e. “Vicentines” who usually speak in Spanish. This is in fact usual in the whole of the Baix Llobregat region.” With its 80% Spanish-speaking population, Sant Vicenç dels Horts still has a pro-independence mayor and has joined the Associations of Municipalities for Independence. Altogether, proof that Spanish demagogues linking independence ideology, rational, with linguistic ascription, emotional, are wrong-headed. As Mr. Junqueras says, “One of the priorities of the Constitution of Catalonia, as a state within the European Union and governed by rule of law, will be to guarantee social cohesion.”

Social cohesion will also have to be linguistic cohesion. According to Mr. Junqueras, “As far as languages are concerned, let's make it clear from the start, in an independent Catalonia, Catalan will be the vernacular official language common to all. But Spanish will also be official in the Catalan Republic. Obviously, if anyone is in any doubt”. He goes even further, speaking of Occitan: “Just as the rights of the citizens of the Aran Valley will be respected, where Aranese will also be official; and further still, the recognition of Aranese as the vernacular in the Aran Valley”. The position of Mr. Junqueras defuses the ethnicist arguments of the Spanish Unionists. In fact, it completely disarms the confrontational discourse of those in Madrid who would depict two communities in conflict. It fuses together with what Artur Mas, the President of the Catalan government and of the majority CiU party, said recently: “Those who have this temptation [of confrontation] would do well to remember that the Spanish language is also the heritage of Catalonia, just as Catalan should be that of Spain. Moreover, it is a well-loved heritage”.

Sources (in Catalan):

El Periódico

Europa Press