Germany and Spain agree to a dialogue to make Catalan official in the EU amid the Puigdemont crisis.

Barcelona / Madrid / BrusselsGermany and Spain agreed to a "dialogue" to make Catalan official in the European Union. This Friday, in the midst of the crisis with Junts (Junts), they issued a joint statement in which they declare they are working together to find a "response" to Spain's request to recognize the co-official languages in the State: Catalan, Basque, and Galician. In the text, written in English, German, and Spanish and sent by the Moncloa (Spanish government), they assert that the "incorporation of these languages constitutes an essential part of Spain's multilingual national identity" and add that they have therefore decided to "initiate bilateral talks, following which Spain will present a text for debate and decision by the 27 member states at a future date." Furthermore, they pledge to begin "as soon as possible," with the talks being piloted by their respective Foreign Ministries. In other words, they do not commit to any specific timeline, but they do commit to moving quickly to reach an agreement.

The letter comes at a time of heightened tension between the Socialists and the Junts, as Carles Puigdemont's party is leaning toward breaking with the Moncloa government two years after the investiture agreement and still, according to their interpretation, having an empty purse. The deadline is Monday, when the Junts executive meets in Perpignan and must decide whether to withdraw support for the Spanish government. However, there are still days left and, as ARA explained this Thursday, the PSOE plans to "play hard" to avoid a breakup. The joint statement between Germany and Spain is an example, in addition to holding talks regarding fiscal balances, as Junts had agreed with the PSOE to publish the data so the Generalitat could calculate them, but as of today, they are incomplete.

Catalan in the European Union, in this sense, has been a key element of the pact between the two parties from the beginning, but over the past two years it has been rejected, mainly due to opposition from Germany (as well as that of other states). In fact, it was not discussed at the last meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union, and the issue was put asideThe next meetings this year are on November 17 and December 16. President Salvador Illa welcomed the statement via X: "I have full confidence that we will make it possible." The Prime Minister's move, however, has already drawn initial criticism from Junts: MP Agustí Colomines, close to Puigdemont, lamented that the joint statement, while "credible," could have been in Catalan.

The PSOE's move puts the ball in Junts' court, which must now assess, with this new element on the table, whether it remains inclined to break away or give more time to negotiations in case the Catalan issue comes up. Yesterday, Thursday, party sources believed they had reached the front line and that the relationship was exhausted—this week in Congress, Míriam Nogueras was already speaking of the "time for change"—but this step by Spain shakes up the party's expectations. Throughout the weekend, before Monday's meeting with the entire leadership, Junts meetings at the highest level are planned, and there have also been contacts with the PSOE in recent hours. This Friday, Spanish Vice President María Jesús Montero stated that "dialogue is constant and fluid," also specifying that they want to "intensify" these talks in the final hours. "Those issues that depend on us are being processed, and those that depend on third parties, we are working to ensure they can be fulfilled," she said in statements to the media.

The most influential country in the EU

Diplomatic sources from the ARA (Argentine National Assembly) point out that Sánchez and Friedrich Merz did not hold any bilateral meetings at Thursday's summit of European leaders in Brussels. Although they do not rule out the possibility that the two leaders could speak informally at some point on the sidelines of the meeting, they point out that the statement was most likely drafted and negotiated directly between high-level government advisors, known as "sherpas," who attend these meetings alongside the leaders.

Despite the statement, German diplomatic sources remind the ARA that the agreement to maintain bilateral dialogue on the initiative "does not mean that a solution has been found" and emphasize that under no circumstances should the results of the meetings be prejudged. "The statement does not mean that Germany has changed its position," the same sources wish to clarify.

Since the fall of the executive led by Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, who was in favor of the official status of Catalan, and was succeeded by that of the conservative Friedrich Merz, Germany has been the most forceful member state against the Spanish proposal and has led the opposition in the European Union. In the last ministerial meetings in which it has been discussed, the Germanic country, which is the largest and most influential in the community bloc, has always been the first to ask to speak and has dragged other European partners into positioning themselves in the same direction. "Germany's position, as always, is key," diplomatic sources point out.

At the last General Affairs Council in which the initiative was discussed last July, the German and Spanish representatives exchanged views. a heated argument and held a very tense conversation, according to diplomatic sources from this newspaper who were in the room. It was following this confrontation that the Moncloa government decided to give the initiative a "breather" and not discuss it at the ministerial level in Brussels for a few months.

It was also from then on that the Spanish government has focused primarily on trying to convince Berlin, and sources familiar with the Moncloa government's negotiations with other state executives assure that, for this reason, they have not spoken with the rest of their European partners for some time. In fact, diplomatic delegations from several EU countries consulted by this newspaper assure that they have not heard about the initiative for months.