Prohens boasts of fewer complaints of discrimination against Catalan after setting up the Office of Linguistic Rights

PalmPresident Marga Prohens argued on Tuesday that linguistic aggression has decreased since she took office. "There are fewer language complaints today than when you were in power," she retorted to the left-wing members of parliament: "Language is not a problem." But the spokesperson for MÁS per Mallorca, Lluís Apesteguia, countered that this is "normal" after the government has "disrupted the Office of Linguistic Rights." Prohens provided some data. According to her, between 2024 and 2025 there were 90 complaints of linguistic discrimination, mostly due to businesses or institutions not having documents or forms in Catalan. Of these, 34 were for linguistic aggression. That is, when a citizen addresses an institution or business in Catalan and, as a result, receives mistreatment or is outright refused service unless they switch to Spanish. According to government sources, some complaints are filed with the Consumer Affairs Office, and others with the Linguistic Rights Defense Service of the Balearic Institute of Studies (IEB), which assumed the functions of the Linguistic Rights Office when it was dismantled at the behest of Vox. Furthermore, the institute can also act on its own initiative if it detects complaints on social media.

The discrimination suffered by the president

Apesteguía gave some examples of recent complaints. "A member of the blood bank refused to interview a donor because he spoke Catalan, and prevented him from donating," he explained. "A customer had his purchased items thrown at him, and was told, '"If you don't speak to me in Spanish, I won't answer you." She continued. "In this country, most people are educated, love Mallorca and Catalan, but that's just the tip of the iceberg," she continued. "How many people don't use their own language for fear of feeling uncomfortable or suffering an attack? How many people suffer and don't report it?" she asked. In this regard, she emphasized that even the president has suffered discrimination for speaking Catalan, her native language.You're rude, speak in Spanish, which you know perfectly well... They're anti-Spanish and extremely provincial, and on top of that, they speak Catalan, not Balearic.“‘,” he recalled being told. “You also remained silent,” he remarked.

“They say worse things to me, and you say nothing,” Prohens retorted. “We are a territory where bilingualism is a normal part of life,” he insisted. “It’s dangerous to try to portray it otherwise. Serving their language is fine, but you can’t single out a business just because they don’t know how to speak it.” In this regard, he said that he lives in his native language: “I always find a respectful society.” “You won’t find me involved in linguistic confrontation,” he emphasized.

Vox calls for more Spanish

Next, Manuela Cañadas, spokesperson for the Vox parliamentary group, once again attacked the use of Catalan in schools. She argued that, given that Catalan does not generate—in her view—interest among students despite language normalization policies, the current immersion model should be changed. "Students in the Balearic Islands deserve a freer education, free from impositions," she said. To which Prohens replied that "at this point" she already knows they won't reach an agreement.