Several countries consider it premature to discuss Catalan in the EU due to Saint John's Day.

BrusselsThe Spanish government pressed until the last moment for last week's European Union Council a vote on the official status of Catalan, Galician, and Basque in the European institutions was to be held. However, at least seven Member States were against taking a decision on the initiative, which ultimately led to the vote being postponed. Even Germany, the largest and most influential country in the EU, threatened to veto the Spanish proposal, and Italy proposed requesting a legal report on the measure. Therefore, given this reluctance, several diplomatic representations of the member states to the EU consulted by ARA believe it is premature to discuss again the official status of Catalonia's own language at the next General Affairs Council (GAC), which falls on Sant Joan, and consider it appropriate for Spain to allow more time and have some leeway to try to make it work.

The same diplomatic sources assure that Spain has not contacted them again since last Tuesday, when the initiative was discussed at the EU Council. However, they do not rule out the possibility that the Spanish government could exert pressure again in the coming days, as they assert that they typically increase contacts when a GAC (General Action Group of Action) is approaching, the Council where the proposal for official status for Catalan, Galician, and Basque can be brought up for discussion or a vote.

In fact, the Spanish government has until this Sunday to ask the EU Council Presidency, currently held by Poland, to include the initiative as an item on the agenda for the ministerial meeting. Starting Monday, Spain could also request it, but would need the approval of all other countries, not just Poland, which would complicate the process of bringing it up for discussion, let alone a vote.

At this point, diplomatic sources assure ARA that the Spanish government has not requested it, although the Moncloa government is refusing to say whether it plans to request it before this Sunday. In this regard, sources within the Spanish government simply emphasize that they are continuing to work to convince at least seven countries that showed reluctance during the closed-door discussions of the last GAC. According to diplomatic sources in this newspaper, the Member States in question were Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic.

France also asked to speak, but in a very ambiguous manner, to the point that some sources believe it positioned itself more in favor and others more against. In any case, Paris has always maintained an attitude against the official status of Catalan in the EU and is a particularly belligerent state against minority languages.

The next opportunities

Be that as it may, the San Juan General Affairs Council isn't Spain's last opportunity to bring the initiative up for discussion before the summer holidays begin. The next ministerial meeting where it could be put on the agenda is July 18th. And, after August, September 16th, right at the start of the new year. That is, a time when budget negotiations begin, and therefore, the PSOE may be interested in maintaining better relations than ever with Junts (Junts), which is demanding official status for Catalan in the EU in exchange for supporting Sánchez's government in Madrid.