Catalan, in the power of Brussels: "It's felt everywhere"

BrusselsA joy that we all share is meeting a Catalan abroad. "Oh, you're Catalan too?". And the typical conversation begins in a tone of astonishment and disbelief, as if it couldn't be such a coincidence. "We'll explain it at home.". And the excitement only grows when you manage to connect with friends of friends, or even—one hundred points and a doll for the contestant!—a distant relative. "It's just that the world is a small place.". And the chatter ends with a fake fuss.

The excitement, however, is no longer the same when, within a few minutes, you meet a Catalan for the second, third, fourth time, and when you've lost count, as happens all over the world, and especially in Brussels. And more specifically in the corridors of power in the Belgian capital: from the European Parliament to the European Commission. Now and then. That's when you do the math and everything makes sense. You even doubt that we're as busy a country as you thought, and you remember that the Països Catalans have almost 15 million inhabitants. To confirm this, You read the ARA and you realize that, although Catalan is not an official language in the European Union, has many more speakers than most languages that have that recognition.

Catalan is abundant in bars, at parties, and on the streets, but especially in the corridors of power in Brussels. In this sense, although it was difficult to hear him speak his native language, the previous head of European diplomacy was the Catalan Josep Borrell, who previously held another of the most powerful positions in the European institutions, the presidency of the European Parliament. There, in the European Parliament, he had another compatriot as an ally, the former spokesperson for the European Parliament and current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaume Duch. "He feels Catalan everywhere and, of course, it is a language used by the workers of the European Parliament," the minister explains to ARA.

The only people who seem to speak to him in private are the number two of the European People's Party (PP), Dolors Montserrat, and the Valencian Vice President of the European Parliament, Esteban González Pons, who remains convinced that it is not the same language spoken in the Principality. Catalan Socialist Javi López is also a vice president in the European Parliament.

Even in the engine room of NATO, the world's largest military organization, Catalan has been spoken. Cristina Gallach was press officer for the Atlantic Alliance and press officer for the EU's foreign diplomacy portfolio, as well as spokesperson for the EU Council. The situation is similar in the European Commission. Amadeu Altafaj was European Commission Finance Spokesperson during one of the most delicate moments of the economic crisis; Xavier Prats Monné began working at the European Commission before Spain joined the EU and served as European Commission Spokesperson and Director-General for Health and Education. Currently, the Deputy Director-General for Finance at the European Commission, Elena Flores, stands out.

Thus, Catalonia's own language is also influential in Brussels, and one can often reach the highest levels of the EU power pyramid in Catalan. More so than with other official languages in the community club. And, beyond high-ranking officials, there are also many Catalan civil servants in the European institutions. "This is largely due to Catalonia's historical Europeanism," notes Duch, who asserts that in general "there are more Catalan workers in the European institutions than the demographic weight it has" within the blog. In this sense, Prats Monné indicates that, of course, there is a significant presence of Catalans in the European Commission, although he notes that in Brussels "the perspective of your origins is taken" and "all identities are blurred."

The Puigdemont Phenomenon

As for the media muscle in Brussels, it's no small feat either. It's certainly an exception for a stateless nation like Catalonia to have so many correspondents in the Belgian capital, and just under a third of the state's media professionals are from the Països Catalans. "Many of us Spanish journalists have taken a quick Catalan course thanks to [Carles] Puigdemont," laughs a Madrid journalist who prefers to remain anonymous.

In fact, when a Catalan meets someone new in Brussels, something that often happens in this transient city, they know that at some point or another they'll probably have to talk about the big topic: Puigdemont.By the way, is your president here?"You have to have your speech prepared and try to get away from the studio as soon as possible, and be aware that the fact that I live in Waterloo —where Napoleon's defeat—is arousing great interest, as is his entry into and escape from Catalonia. However, interest in the former president has been waning in recent years, and now, after answering that he's from Catalonia, there's renewed talk of Barça and Lamine Yamal's filigree work.

Castles and calçotades

The Catalan social and cultural fabric of Brussels is in full swing. The Casal Català, for example, has more than four hundred members and also hosts the Mannekes human tower group. Needless to say, the human towers They attract the attention of adopted Brussels residents from all over, and the gang is made up of fans of more than a dozen nationalities. Of course, the Catalans predominate, and you have the pleasure of sniffing the armpits of several political advisors to the European Parliament, the former government delegates to the EU, Amadeu Altafaj—also a former spokesperson for the Commission—and Ignasi Centelles, or the TV3 correspondent in Brussels and TN, Joan Raventós. Aside from the human towers, the Casal Català also organizes events that draw a lot of people, such as Sant Jordi, the tió (traditional festival) or the annual calçotada, where 2,000 calçots are eaten. It also offers Catalan classes for students from all over the world and offers entertainment where the lingua franca is Catalonia's own. "Brussels is full of Catalans," confirms Júlia Sardà, president of the Casal Català in the Belgian capital.

The Catalans, however, aren't satisfied with their casal and often invade the Brussels Basque Country House. "They ask us to play songs in Catalan, but they should ask [José Manuel] Albares for that, we already have enough to do saving the Basque language," jokes Amaia Portugal from San Sebastián. The same goes for the Espai Valencià, which is in close sync with the Catalan organization and organizes a concert with renowned bands every year. "If nothing else, we know a lot about organizing parties and internationalizing Valencian culture," says proud Valencian Pablo Garrigós, who assures that "that's why the Catalans always come in droves."