Isla blames the People's Party (PP) for the failure of Catalan in Europe and congratulates Albiol for his "courage."

BarcelonaNeither Germany's reluctance nor the doubts expressed by other countries: what is holding back the official status of Catalan in the European Union is the People's Party (PP). This was denounced this Friday by President Salvador Illa from the Basque Country, a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would throw water on the wine of the Spanish government's plans with the co-official languages in Europe. "If this is still not resolved, it's because the PP has made calls," Illa said during a breakfast briefing in Vitoria before meeting with the Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, to discuss issues such as administrative reform, housing, immigration management, and the social economy, in addition to both pledging to make Galician in Europe a reality. "And then we beat our chests in favor of Spain. Which Spain? The Spain in which Catalan and Basque are provincial? [...] I'm not interested in this Spain, I'm interested in a plural and diverse Spain," he added at the breakfast.

Last May, the PP admitted pressure on member states to stop the official status of Catalan and Vox revealed that the PP had asked him to act in the same way with its far-right allies in Europe. "The PP didn't have to make any calls. It was enough that they didn't pick up the phone [...]. I won't forget that, and neither should the citizens of Euskadi," said Illa. The socialist, who began his speech with a few words in Basque and expressed his "complete conviction" that Spain will achieve official status for Catalan, Basque, and Galician in Europe, did not stop there in his attacks on the PP. In the midst of the earthquake in Genoa by the defense of the Catalan by Xavier García Albiol, the president has sought to rub salt in the wound by revealing that he called the mayor of Badalona and congratulated him for his "courage."

Although Illa has argued that the "general sentiment" in Europe is "favorable" to the official status of Catalan, this Thursday Germany made no concessions In that sense, Pedro Sánchez told Chancellor Merz that he "has been waiting for this moment for 40 years" and reiterated his government's commitment to achieving it in "the not-too-distant future." But the German leader, who met with the Spanish president in Madrid, pointed out the complexity of simultaneous interpretations in the European Parliament and relied on artificial intelligence as a "medium-term" solution. "I understand the interest, but we'll see how it's resolved," he concluded.

Albares: "It's an unavoidable goal."

Faced with this cold shower, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares asserted this Friday that the official status of Catalan in the EU remains "an unavoidable objective" of the Spanish government. Albares, like Isla, expressed his conviction that "it will be achieved." In fact, he downplayed the position expressed by Merz—he said that "Germany has asked for more time"—and reiterated his commitment to achieving unanimity among member states. "I can't say when that will be, but it is on the table, it won't disappear, and all the states of the European Union fully understand that our national identity is multilingual." The minister added that, just as other member states have recognized all their official languages, "Spain also has every right to it."

To understand the messages of both the PSOE and the PSC and their gestures regarding the official status of Catalan in the European institutions, it is worth remembering that this is one of the agreements between the Socialists and Junts, on which the stability of the Sánchez government depends. The delegations of both parties met in a new meeting in Switzerland on Thursday, led by Carles Puigdemont and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, with the aim of refloating a relationship that threatens to break down. Catalan in Europe, the transfer of immigration powers, and the full implementation of the amnesty are the three issues the regional government is demanding the PSOE resolve if it wants their votes in Madrid, both for the budget and to complete the term. Puigdemont's party feels that the hottest issue is in the kitchen sink.