Sánchez government comes in for criticism over tweets in Catalan

Monday’s meeting between the Catalan and Spanish presidents appears to have gone as well as could be expected. Described as “cordial” and “productive,” both sides were keen to make constructive gestures and rebuild bridges.

An example were two tweets in Catalan, posted by Spanish president Pedro Sánchez and by an official government account. Yet, not everyone appreciated the gesture, with Sánchez and his government coming in for widespread criticism from many Spanish users of social media.

Soon after the meeting between Sánchez and Catalan president Quim Torra, the Spanish president tweeted -first in Spanish and then in Catalan- the following message: “A political crisis requires a political solution. This meeting is a constructive starting point for the normalization of relations.”

Una crisi política requereix una solució política. Aquesta reunió és un punt d'arrencada constructiu per a la normalització de les relacions. pic.twitter.com/l60yTYPjVr

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 9, 2018

This was followed by a tweet from the president’s official residence, La Moncloa, which said: “More than two hours of a cordial and correct meeting between the two presidents. This is a first step. Now we must go forward together.”

However, many Spanish Twitter users clearly did not welcome the gesture and left highly critical comments below the timelines of both accounts. In many cases, it was not so much the fact of the meeting itself or its content that seemed to rile most of the commentators, but the fact that Sánchez and La Moncloa had chosen to post in Catalan. Nor did the fact that both accounts had also posted the messages in Spanish appear to appease the critics.

“SPEAK IN SPANISH,” said one comment

Examples of comments left by some of the dissatisfied Twitter users include a reminder to Sánchez that “the official language in Spain is Spanish,” while another demanded (in capital letters): “SPEAK IN SPANISH.”

Meanwhile, another user pointed out that despite Catalan being one of Spain’s official languages, the only one that is official for the whole of the state is Spanish “and the account addresses Spaniards.”

Ahora el presidente de España decide que no va a hablar para todos los españoles... enhorabuena @sanchezcastejon, no se puede hacer peor en menos tiempo. Okupa, convoca elecciones!

— RockChild 🇪🇸 (@RockChildRock) July 9, 2018

No es oficial en el estado.
En el estado solo es el español y la cuenta se dirige a los españoles.

— el tabarnes errante (@josezpt) July 9, 2018

There were also comments that took a harder line. One user accused the posters of being “good-for-nothings,” while another referred to Sánchez as an “okupa” [squatter] and demanded the president “call an election!”

More than one comment also accused Sánchez of being subservient to Torra, accusing the president of “lowering his trousers,” a vulgar expression in Spanish to refer to a willingness to make excessive concessions.