Germany has led a growing backlash against Pedro Sánchez’s plan to block EU enlargement unless Catalan, Basque, and Galician become official EU languages. Spain sought to use its support for EU expansion as use for regional language recognition, prompting public pushback from several member states. On September 22, 2026, reports confirmed Spain’s demand: no new EU enlargement without progress on official status for these languages. Basic partners have responded with skepticism and resistance.
At the latest General Affairs Council, Germany, Sweden, and Lithuania broke with protocol by speaking up on a topic listed for information only. Their message was clear: Spain’s domestic language agenda should not hold up the process of admitting new countries to the EU. Gunther Krichbaum, Germany’s Secretary of State for Europe, made his opposition clear before the meeting began. “I am against a bilateralization of European integration,” he said. He called for “a greater European spirit,” distinguishing enlargement from language policy. European news outlets report that most countries agree the issues should remain separate. Changing the EU’s language regime requires unanimous agreement among all member states, making reform extremely difficult.
Sweden’s EU Minister, Jessica Rosencrantz, backed this position, saying Sweden still supports next with accession talks for Montenegro and other candidates. “I do not believe these questions should be linked in this way,” she said, distancing Sweden from Spain’s approach. Lithuania’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sigitas Mitjus, was equally direct: “For Lithuania, this link is not acceptable.” Statements in leading European media indicate that neither Sweden nor Lithuania supports tying enlargement to the language issue. Spain’s approach appears to be gaining little support in northern and eastern EU countries.
Spain’s Secretary of State for the EU, Fernando Sampedro, was sent to formally deliver Madrid’s threat to veto enlargement if its language demands are not met. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had already set out the position, which comes directly from the Moncloa. Sampedro argued that it was time to end what he called discrimination against 20 million Spaniards and Europeans living in regions with more than one official language. He said Catalan, Basque, and Galician should be added to the EU’s list of official languages. The proposal has been on the table for three years. The debate dates back to at least 2023, when Spain began pushing for the languages’ official status in Brussels. After more than a year without progress, Madrid has stepped up its campaign and is using the enlargement agenda as use. Spanish government sources say the argument rests on non-discrimination for citizens in multilingual regions.
Spain has not persuaded its European partners. Germany’s leadership in opposing the move matters because Berlin’s position often shapes how other countries vote. Germany, Sweden, and Lithuania spoke out without being prompted, signaling that they do not want Spain’s internal language politics to set the pace or terms of EU enlargement.
Spain’s attempt to tie the fate of aspiring EU members to recognition of its regional languages has left Madrid isolated. Berlin, Stockholm, and Vilnius have signaled that the future of the EU’s borders will not depend on Catalan’s status in Brussels. European policy analysts warn that candidates such as Montenegro and Albania could see their accession processes tangled up in Spain’s internal politics, a scenario the EU wants to avoid.
