Dialogue with Catalonia ‘urgent’ says Spanish government

The spokeswoman of the new Spanish government Isabel Celáa has stated that it is “urgent” to open dialogue with Catalonia, prioritizing the Catalan crisis as one of its main “obligations and concerns."

In an interview with Radio Euskadi (Basque Radio,) Celáa also confirmed that Spain’s executive will offer a meeting with the president of Catalonia Quim Torra. She added that they want this to take place before the summer, and that an agreement is made.

“When people transform themselves attitudes are transformed and agreements that do not exist begin to emerge,” she said.

With regard to the use of both Catalan and Spanish in schools in Catalonia, Celáa recalled the linguistic agreement of 1973 and said that “it is not necessary to break agreements but to build them.”

She recognized that it is a “sensitive matter” but had never caused any “problems” until “recent days.”

Working language in schools

A hugely controversial effect of Article 155, and Madrid's direct rule over Catalonia, was the threat posed to Catalan as the working language in schools. The previous Spanish government revealed plans to offer parents an option on school enrolment forms that would ensure their children would receive 25% of their schooling in Spanish. After a widespread outcry, the plans were dropped.