MadridCelebrating Sant Jordi a week later is surely one of the strangest things that happens to Catalans in Madrid. April 23rd is the Book Day –which is by no means the same thing– and normally a few days later the delegation of the Generalitat government in the Spanish capital organizes its own festivity. It doesn't quite catch on either: books and roses are celebrated, but everyone is already speaking in the past tense. This year has been no different, the delegation captained by Núria Marín has chosen theResidencia de Estudiantes in the El Viso neighborhood, in Chamartín, to celebrate the Sant Jordi festival in Madrid. The festival and what it represents have been vindicated, but a good part of the attendees seemed to have their heads elsewhere: probably in Congress, where the Spanish government was losing the vote to extend the rent extensions and the consortium between the PSOE and Esquerra due to Junts' 'no'.
That's why the president, Salvador Illa, did not hold back his veiled criticism in his speech –"Catalonia is defended with actions, not with words and gesticulations", Illa dixit– and it was also one of the topics of conversation at the subsequent cocktail reception. Opinions were varied, but none of the interlocutors were from Junts or Esquerra. At the Generalitat delegation's event, there was a majority of PSC officials, businessmen, representatives of employers' associations and lobbyists, as well as former convergent deputies, who are always somehow everywhere.
into the room when deputies were greeted from the stage: the senators, who were indeed present, felt a bit invisible.
Bilingualism rumor in the room when deputies were greeted from the stage: the senators, who were indeed present, felt a bit invisible.
Bilingualism
The event has proceeded normally. Perhaps the least normal thing, to this reporter's ear, has been the linguistic alternation throughout the event. The organization advised speaking in Spanish because it was taking place in Madrid and was open to everyone, but the truth is that all the speakers have alternated with Catalan, because it was actually a bit strange considering the audience: with the exception of a few people who could be counted on the fingers of one hand, everyone could understand Catalan perfectly. To begin with, the minister.
