Mallorca group wants Catalan made an official EU language

On Mallorca, people should be able to use Catalan with Spain’s national police and in court. A cultural group is urging election candidates to back that change — and to make Catalan an official language of the European Union.

Obra Cultural Balear (OCB) made its call in Palma, Mallorca, on Tuesday, 10 November. It wants candidates from the PP, PSIB and Ara Més-Front Ampli to make ten pledges ahead of Spain’s general election on 29 November.

From police desks to state offices

The OCB says people should be able to speak Catalan to state offices and get an answer in the same language, whether they visit, call or use an online service. That would cover ministries and other Spanish state services in the Balearic Islands. The group says staff would need enough Catalan to help them.

It also wants people to use Catalan with the National Police and the Guardia Civil, and before judges and courts, without facing delays or a disadvantage. The group is calling for wider use of Catalan in the Senate and other state institutions, alongside steps to secure its official status in the EU.

Catalan on screens and in contracts

The demands reach beyond public counters. The OCB wants Spanish state websites, apps and online forms available in Catalan, at least in the Balearic Islands and Catalonia. It is also seeking more Catalan-language television, radio and streaming content, particularly for children and young people, and easier access to each region’s content from the other.

For services regulated by the Spanish state, the group wants Catalan available in contracts, bills, instructions and customer support. It also wants language requirements in state contracts and public services in the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, so people can get information and help in Catalan.

Topics: Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com