Neither 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.

As expected, the European Union's General Affairs Council this Friday failed to approve the official status of Catalan, Galician, and Basque in the European institutions. Everything indicates that the request made by the Spanish government nearly two years ago has entered a hibernation phase. Realistically speaking, in the short term, the only circumstances that could improve the status of Catalan in the institutions are an agreement by the European Parliament's bureau to allow its use in the European Parliament and, above all, the signing of the Association Agreement between Andorra and the EU, which, among other things, would require the translation of a significant number of European laws into Catalan.

The debate on the official status of Catalan in the European Union has put the belligerent attitude of the PP in the spotlight: they have explicitly acknowledged that they made calls on countries to derail the measure, as stated by the secretary general of the Catalan People's Party (PP), Santi Rodríguez. In any case, their opposition has not been of the same intensity everywhere: there are autonomous regions that do not reject official status or would even welcome it, and in the case of Catalonia, there has been discomfort and a certain internal unrest with the way this battle has been handled. The official status of Catalan has thus become a headache for the PP, although for the PP, it was supposed to be another offensive against the Spanish government.

For a moment yesterday, we returned to the times of Catalan news experienced in "minute of play and result" mode, Everyone is waiting for what Brussels decides about the official status of Catalan in the EU..

At the time of recording this video we continued awaiting the vote of the 27 EU member states on the official status of Catalan, Galician, and Basque in the EU institutions. At this point, the cards are on the table: the Spanish government, bound by its investiture pacts, has been trying for months to achieve official status, while the PP, which belongs to the party with the largest representation in the European Parliament, try the opposite.

The 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.

President Donald Trump has designated English as the official language of the United States. On March 1, a new statement emerged from the Oval Office. executive order which, for the first time in history, determined that the country has "one - and only one - official language." Trump justifies this because this "will not only speed up communication, but will also reinforce shared national values and create a more cohesive and efficient society."