The People's Party (PP) admits it is calling for a halt to Catalan's official status in the EU.

Barcelona/BrusselsThe official status of Catalan in the European Union comes at a crucial time, as this Tuesday the member states will have to make a decision. But while the Spanish government is leading the way, an offensive to ensure that the objective is achieved, the PP is maneuvering in the opposite direction by contacting countries to ensure that official status fails. The PP itself confirmed this on Monday. The secretary general of the Catalan Popular Party, Santi Rodríguez, stated in a press conference that "if there are calls, it's because there are calls in the opposite direction" and that they are happening because "if someone acts in a political sense," as he believes the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, is doing, they should be able to respond. "Or is it that only some people can speak here and others can't speak and express their opinions?" he concluded.

The leader of the Catalan PP has emphasized that there are "specific circumstances" that explain his party's outright opposition to the official status of Catalan in the EU and, at the same time, the calls that have been made by senior party leaders such as Alberto Núñez Feijóo himself, according to various media outlets. At first, Rodríguez stated that the Popular Party (PP) neither "blocks" nor "promotes" the use of Catalan in European institutions, but later clarified that they are taking steps to stop it. A comment that has bothered the state leadership: sources consulted by ARA report that they have no record of any calls or that Feijóo has been involved, while the party's spokesperson, Borja Sémper, tried to dodge the issue in a press conference, saying that "Sánchez is not interested in Catalan." reports Andrea ZamoranoFor this reason, he described the state government's pressure for official status as an "absurd attempt" and even an "attack" on Catalan due to the "uncertainty" it generates. Thus, he explained that "the PP has no influence on the European PP" and although "it seems to understand that the issue of regional languages is absurd," "allies like the Brothers of Italy and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are needed to stop this nonsense" of official status. In his opinion, "the debate is not about a specific interest in Catalan being used in European institutions, but because Sánchez needs the seven votes of Junts," and this is the core of his opposition. He also repeated arguments against official status, such as that it "is not transcendental," the "initial cost," and the "initial cost." He also reiterated arguments against official status, such as that it "is not transcendental," the "initial cost," and the "initial cost" of including other languages and complicating the functioning of the institutions.

Confidence of the Catalan and Spanish governments

While the PP is pushing against the official status of Catalan, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, commented this Monday in an interview on RNE on the need for the Popular Party to row in favor, and expressed his wish to Alberto Núñez Feijóo: "That tomorrow all Spaniards and all Spanish political parties share a European party, for example the European PP, so that their governments vote in favor." On the other hand, the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, has assured that "the government is working intensively at all levels so that tomorrow Catalan and the rest of the co-official languages will also be official within the EU."

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, also spoke from Tokyo. "I trust that tomorrow will go well," he affirmed, because it is "a well-founded request," while the Minister of the European Union and Foreign Action, Jaume Duch, has stated on the microphones ofThe morning of Catalunya Ràdio She is "moderately optimistic." Along the same lines, the general secretary of the ERC (Republic of Catalonia), Elisenda Alamany, has demanded that the PP stop "boycotting and encourage their colleagues in European countries to limit the presence of a language that is unique to Catalonia and that they want to be spoken normally in European institutions."

Despite his public optimism, Albares will not attend the EU Council meeting where the official status of Catalan will be discussed. According to diplomatic sources, the Secretary of State for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro, will defend the Spanish proposal. It should be noted that Albares attended these meetings when the initiative was scheduled to be discussed, and Spain presented an important update to the proposal, such as offering to cover the costs of translation and interpretation for Catalan, Galician, and Basque. In contrast, the Moncloa (Spanish government) sent Sampedro when the meetings went more quietly.

Spain is pushing for a "vote"

Despite the reluctance of several member states, the Spanish government is maintaining pressure on the EU Council to have the initiative included on the agenda as a topic for decision. adoption and not simply as discussionIn previous meetings, Spain had asked to remove it from the folder adoption due to the lack of support, but this time it wants to force a position from the states, at least for the time being. As they claim they want to do, the decision will be postponed until the next EU General Affairs Council meetings, if Spain continues to request it and the country presiding over the EU Council agrees to them.