Oriol Junqueras (ERC leader) called today “historic” due to the fact that it is the first time that Catalan, Galician or Basque can be used in the Congress of Deputies, even before the chamber rules were changed.

Junqueras wanted to deprive attention of this milestone Carles Puigdemontwho, having fled to Belgium, was unable to approach the Carrera de San Jerónimo.

Defenders of the measure, starting with the PSOE, justified their vote by citing Spain’s linguistic wealth and discrediting their opposition to right-wing parties as “supremacists.” Vox left the hall, and its deputies put their headphones on the chair of the Prime Minister, who is absent because he is present at the UN General Assembly.

Does it make sense that national MPs should use simultaneous translation in Congress?

The first thing to say is that, as established by the Constitution in its Article 3, the only official language in all of Spain is Spanish, and therefore it should be enough for every citizen to know this language in order to understand each other with others. people. Spanish people.

Popular sovereignty should not serve false purposes.

Secondly, Catalan, Basque and Galician, as official languages ​​in their respective autonomies, are regularly used in their parliaments, as well as in the public media of Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia.

Third, joint official languages ​​can now be used in the Senate.

Therefore, it cannot be said that the state does not protect these languages ​​or that it discriminates against them. Catalan, Basque and Galician are in fact an integral part of the historical and cultural heritage of the Spanish nation, along with the Castilian language.

But this does not justify a measure like the one that has just been implemented.

The Socialist Party itself opposed this only 15 months ago. His then representative Hector Gomez (today Minister of Industry and Trade), justified the vote against his party with the loud motivation: “Spanish is our official language.”

Why did the PSOE change its position?

Very simple. Not because I think it is better for coexistence if the official languages ​​are also spoken in Congress. No. Only because this is one of the conditions that Puigdemont put forward to give him 7 junta votes upon taking office. Pedro Sanchez.

Thus, today is a great day for the independents who have imposed the use of three languages ​​other than Spanish in a place of popular sovereignty. And it is a sad day for those of us who believe that this sovereignty – such a measure should have broad consensus – should not serve the wrong purposes.