Catalan is not the problem, Vox is the problem

Every time the far right talks about language, it's important to understand their message. When they say flexibility, they mean elimination; when they talk about the efficiency of public services, they mean that citizens will no longer be able to exercise their linguistic rights; and when they describe Catalan certificates as... exclusive titleWhat really bothers them is that the country's own language continues to have a presence in public life.

The agreement between the PP and Vox to lower the Catalan language requirement in teacher recruitment exams for hard-to-fill positions is presented as a pragmatic solution to a technical problem: there are positions that are difficult to fill, and making it easier to fill them is a mistake. But we've got their numbers figured out, and we know this narrative is a subterfuge, because the teacher shortage is so severe that they're already carrying out urgent placement procedures without requiring the qualifications, the Catalan language requirement, or the teacher training master's degree. The problem of teacher shortages would demand other measures, such as improving working conditions, offering financial incentives, or facilitating access to housing. What they're doing, instead, is much simpler: pointing the finger at Catalan. This is especially serious given the current sociolinguistic context, where, according to the latest surveys on language use, Catalan is steadily declining in the Balearic Islands. Among young people, despite having been educated in Catalan, its social use is even lower. In other words, the real problem is the structural weakness of the Catalan language in our country. In this context, further weakening its presence in administration and schools is not a technical measure; it is a political decision with very clear consequences: accelerating its linguistic replacement.

The statements of the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, confirm this. Vera justifies the elimination of the Catalan requirement for hard-to-fill positions as a way to attract professionals, but he himself admits that he has no proof that the language requirement is the cause of the teacher shortage. That is to say, a decision affecting fundamental rights is being made without any evidence that Catalan is the problem. They're repeating the same deception they used to eliminate the Catalan requirement in public healthcare. The trap is easy to uncover; the implicit message is that you can come and work in the Balearic Islands' public schools without any commitment to the territory's own language. And that, Mr. Minister, isn't opening up possibilities; it's normalizing the idea that Catalan is dispensable, when the Balearic Islands Government should be using all the means at its disposal to defend, protect, and promote it. But there's another reality that's often hidden. For decades, the language projects of educational centers haven't been implemented with the necessary rigor, and the educational inspectorate, which should guarantee their application, hasn't intervened effectively for years. In other words, before abandoning any requirement, it's essential to ensure that the current legal framework is being followed. The narrative is as simple as it is effective; Repeating over and over that Catalan stifles talent will eventually lead someone to believe that the country's language is an obstacle to progress. The reality is exactly the opposite; the linguistic requirement doesn't exclude anyone: it guarantees rights. What Vox proposes isn't a one-off solution; it's another piece of a much deeper political project of linguistic persecution, with the goal of wiping the Catalan language off the map. It's the price the People's Party gladly pays to satisfy the obsessive and pathological hatred of its government partners against the Catalan language, in exchange for a handful of votes.

That's why the debate isn't technical; it's political and also democratic. Because what's at stake isn't just a language, but the right of citizens to live fully. The native language of these islands isn't an obstacle; it's a collective heritage and a right. And, above all, Catalan isn't a wall. The wall is the intolerance of those who can't stand that these islands have their own language.