Spain and Germany launch talks to make Catalan an official EU language

Spain and Germany have begun bilateral negotiations to make Catalan an official language of the EU.

The long-stalled proposal requires unanimous support from all 27 member states, and Germany has been one of its main opponents.

"Our two governments have agreed today to open a dialogue aimed at finding an answer to the Spanish request that its official languages, other than Spanish, be recognized as official within the European Union in an acceptable way for all EU member states," the two countries said in a joint statement on Friday.

The two governments also said that the incorporation of these languages "constitutes an essential part of Spain's plurilingual national identity."

"We have therefore jointly decided to undertake bilateral discussions on the basis of which Spain will put forward a text that will be taken again to debate and eventual decision by the 27 EU Member States at a future General Affairs Council meeting," the text read.

The two governments also vowed to begin dialogue "as soon as possible" between their foreign affairs ministries.

The next General Affairs Council meeting is scheduled for November 17, with the final meeting of the year set for December 16.

Why now? 

According to sources from the Spanish government, the declaration comes after "months of work."

Talks began in September when Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the issue during a meeting in Madrid.

At the time, Merz said he saw the deal as complicated due to simultaneous translations and suggested leaving a solution to AI in the "medium term."

In the past week, however, sources say the final push was made after the two leaders had another discussion at the European Council.

The last time the question was debated in the General Affairs Council, the discussion was "tense," reflecting the shock between Germany and Spain.

Months earlier, the conservative PP, then in opposition in Spain, had contacted various European countries, including Germany, to urge them to veto Sánchez’s proposal.

Catalan president Salvador Illa welcomed the news. "We are closer to making Catalan an official language of the EU. I have full confidence that we will make it happen," he said in a post on X.

Fresh air for Sánchez

The announcement comes as a breath of fresh air for PM Sánchez. The proposal was one of the conditions set by the Catalan pro-independence party Junts to support Sánchez’s rise to power.

After nearly two years of the proposal being stalled, Junts issued an ultimatum to Sánchez on Thursday and is expected to decide on Monday whether to break ties with the Socialists.

If the party of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont decides to sever relations, Sánchez would face significant difficulties passing any laws in Congress.

This renewed push to make Catalan an official EU language could be crucial in persuading Junts to maintain its alliance with the Spanish government.