The Change of Presidency
Next Monday, July 1, the transfer of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from Belgium to Hungary will take place. For the past six months, Brussels has held this position, but from now until the end of 2024, Budapest will assume this responsibility. The European presidency implies that the respective state will preside over sessions at all levels of the Council, having the authority to determine the agenda and priorities of the issues to be discussed at the various meetings.
Hungary and the Debate on Catalan
With the arrival of Hungary to the presidency of the EU, questions arise about the future of the debate to make Catalan an official language in Europe. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s position and the Hungarian’s official status raise uncertainties about whether this issue will be a priority during the next six months.
Possible Optimism
Despite initial concerns, there are reasons to be optimistic. Hungary is a signatory to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and protects the linguistic rights of various national minorities. In addition, it has held conversations with the Generalitat and La Moncloa to address the issue of Catalan, which suggests possible progress on this issue.
The Focus on Spain and the PP
The Hungarian presidency will not include the debate on the official status of Catalan on the European agenda unless the Spanish government exerts pressure in this regard. It is important for Spain to force Hungary to address this issue, as progress on this demand has been slow in recent months.
Work done
Despite the apparent lack of public progress, considerable documentation, including arguments, legal reports and possible agreements, has been prepared to support the official status of Catalan. The importance of article 4.2 of the European Treaty is highlighted, which defends linguistic diversity in Spain and the role of co-official languages in national identity.
The Role of the PP
The European People’s Party has been identified as a significant obstacle to the official status of Catalan in the EU. The need to influence the negotiations between the European People’s Party and the Party of European Socialists is pointed out to promote the inclusion of Catalan as a currency in these political exchanges.