Conflict Over Catalan Language Status Intensifies in Aragon. Aragon authorities plan to review the status of the Catalan language. The move has sparked distrust and protests in border municipalities. The initiative is facing criticism even within the PP party.
The authorities of Aragon have announced plans to review the region's language policy, raising questions about the status of the Catalan language in areas bordering Catalonia. The new coalition agreement between the PP and Vox calls for an end to the "imposition of Catalan," which has provoked a strong response among residents of the so-called Franja—territories where Catalan is traditionally used in daily life and education.
According to estimates by the Institut Aragonès del Català, up to 50,000 people live in these areas, for whom Catalan is the main language of communication. However, there are no official statistics, and locals note that the language has always been part of their local identity and was never a source of dispute until the new government's initiative. Many municipal representatives, including members of the PP, have openly expressed dissatisfaction with the plans to change the law adopted in 1999 with the support of the then PP regional leader.
Within Partido Popular itself, there are voices calling the alliance with Vox and the attempt to revise the language status "uncomfortable" and overly politicized. In particular, the head of the Matarraña comarca council and mayor of Cretas, Fernando Camps, emphasizes that until recently, the language issue was not a source of conflict. In some municipalities, PP representatives have even supported initiatives to protect the region's linguistic diversity.
Residents of Franja note that the Catalan language here is perceived as a natural part of life, not as a political tool. Many families continue to speak it at home and pass it on to their children, despite pressure from the authorities. Some emphasize that local dialects are called by different names—fragatí, mequinensán, chapurreau—but in essence, it is Catalan. At the same time, part of the population insists that they remain Aragonese, not Catalan, and do not want to mix the language issue with politics.
Experts such as philology professor Javier Giralt believe that the main goal of the initiative is not to prohibit the language itself, but to change its official name to avoid associations with Catalonia. Funding for language institutes has already been cut to zero, threatening the preservation of the region’s cultural heritage. At the same time, the Spanish Ministry of Culture has allocated additional support for the preservation of the Catalan language in Aragon.
Context: The 1999 law recognizes Catalan and Aragonese as native languages of Aragon. In recent years, the language issue has become a subject of political debate, especially after Vox gained influence. In Catalonia and Valencia, attempts have previously been made to change the status of regional languages, leading to similar conflicts. According to RUSSPAIN, language policy in Spain often becomes a tool for political struggle, especially in border regions.
