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Speaking the language

| Palma |

I do not understand why the opposition Partido Popular insists on trying to make political capital out of the issue of Catalan/Majorcan. This was an issue which I thought was settled a decade ago but there are some within the centre right party who want to tap into the discontent felt by some towards the Catalan language. For those who are unaware, Catalan/Majorcan is the language of politics: all council meetings, parliamentary sessions, etc. in the Balearics are in this language. In fact, if you don't speak it there is little point attending a council meeting. It is also the language of the civil service, and the majority of schooling in state schools is in Catalan. After much debate more than a decade ago the language issue appeared to have been resolved.

If you are from the mainland or have a strong Castilian/Spanish background, having to speak and understand Catalan/Majorcan is not going to be well received because Spanish is the language of Spain. But Catalan/Majorcan is the language of this island alongside Castilian/Spanish and the majority of people who live here want it that way. It is as simple as that. Yes, it could be argued that if you want to study in some parts of the mainland or abroad there is not much use speaking Catalan but this is not really the point. More than 50 per cent of people of these islands have made their opinion heard and want Majorcan/Catalan spoken and taught. There is opposition and in some cases rightly so, but the majority want it this way. So, I think this issue should be left how it is; there is no point making trouble so far down the line.

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