The Language Platform analyzes the parties’ proposals
The Platform for Language has published a report on the proposals related to the language of the electoral programs of the parties for the European elections of 9 June. The purpose of the report is to help citizens vote with linguistic awareness. The entity sent the parties a program with five proposals to promote the language and has now analyzed whether these proposals have been incorporated into the parties’ programs. The proposals that have generated the most consensus are to guarantee the right to communicate in Catalan with the European institutions and to achieve the official status of Catalan in the European Union.
The proposals of the Language Platform
The other proposals of the Platform for the Language include the commitment to fully incorporate Catalan into the European standardized curriculum vitae (Europass) and new technologies, to modify the legislation that corners Catalan and to support citizen initiatives that would benefit Catalan, such as now the Minority Safepack Initiative (MSI) and the Initiative for National Regions (INR).
The parties and their proposals
The parties that have included the defense of the official Catalan language in their programs are Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa, Ara Repúbliques, the Coalition for a Solidary Europe – CEUS, Sumar and Podemos. The PSOE defends the recognition of diversity in order to manage it and wants the other Spanish languages to be spoken in the European Union. As for guaranteeing the right to communicate in Catalan with the European institutions, this proposal is included in the programs of Junts, Ara Repúbliques, CEUS, Podemos and the PSOE.
Regarding the incorporation of Catalan in Europass and new technologies, this proposal is specific to the Junts programme, while Ara Repúbliques, PSOE, Sumar and Podemos mention it more generically. The modification of the legislation that corners the Catalan language has only been included explicitly in the programs of Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa and Ara Repúbliques. Finally, both Junts per Catalunya and the Coalition for a United Europe want to support citizen initiatives that would benefit Catalan, such as the Minority Safepack Initiative (MSI) and the Initiative for National Regions (INR).
Meetings with the parties
The Platform for Language has met with members of several parties to convey the proposals to them and will continue to work so that these proposals are prioritized and implemented once the parties are elected. The entity also encourages citizens to vote with linguistic awareness and to monitor the parties after the elections to ensure compliance with language-related proposals.
Vote with linguistic awareness
The Language Platform seeks to promote the importance of language in the framework of the European elections and reminds the parties that compliance with the proposals will demonstrate their commitment to the language and to the voters.