The European Parliament questions the language immersion model in Catalonia
The Petitions committee of the European Parliament has voted in favor of the report that calls into question the language immersion model in Catalonia. This report, the result of the mission carried out by several conservative and far-right MEPs last December, expresses its concern for the serious dysfunctions generated by the Catalan school model for students whose mother tongue is Spanish. The members of the committee ask for equivalent treatment for Catalan and Spanish.
Reactions to the report
The report has been approved with the votes of the conservatives and the far-right, despite the boycott of the progressive formations. This text, however, is not binding, since the European Union does not have powers to legislate on the education systems of the member states.
The votes for and against
The report was approved by 19 votes in favor and 6 against. The representatives of the European People’s Party, Renew (where Ciudadans is a member) and the group of conservatives and reformists (ECR) (of which Vox is a part) have supported the approval of the document, while the socialists, the Greens (which host ERC) and The Left (where Podemos is) have opposed.
Recommendations and independent analysis
In the document, MEPs ask the national authorities to guarantee equitable treatment between Catalan and Spanish and recommend the preparation of an independent analysis to continue evaluating the language immersion model in Catalonia.
The composition of the Petitions committee
The Petitions committee that voted in favor of the report was made up mostly of conservative and far-right MEPs. Members include the leader of the mission, Yana Toom, an Estonian MEP from the Russian minority, and other MEPs such as Polish ultranationalist Kosma Zlotowski, Vox MEP Jorge Buxadé and several members of the Popular and Citizens Party.
Reactions of the progressive parties
Progressive parties, such as ERC and Junts, have criticized the report and denounced the harassment of language immersion by right-wing and far-right parties. They consider that the report has no path and that the European Union has no competences in educational and linguistic matters.
conclusion
The European Parliament’s report on the language immersion model in Catalonia has generated controversy and diverse reactions. While some express concern about the dysfunctions of the model, others consider the report to be partisan and not legally valid. The issue of linguistic immersion continues to be a topic of debate in Catalonia.