Resolutions passed with PSC support
The Catalan Parliament has approved a series of resolutions from Esquerra Republicana (ERC) demanding stronger institutional commitment to the Catalan language across education, healthcare, justice and public safety. The measures passed on Thursday 1 October 2026, during the general policy debate, with the support or strategic abstention of the PSC, the party leading the regional government under President Salvador Illa.
While the PSC backed ERC’s language proposals, it systematically rejected equivalent measures put forward by Junts per Catalunya and blocked initiatives from the CUP that sought deeper linguistic reforms. The PSC did, however, support a CUP-led resolution requiring the government to make Catalan the standard language of public service by the end of 2027.
Key areas of reform
The approved resolutions call for immediate implementation of Decree 91/2024 on the linguistic regime in non-university education, reinforcing reception classrooms for newly arrived students and ensuring inclusive integration without segregation, particularly in the Aran Valley. A specific plan to improve spoken Catalan in early childhood education, primary school and secondary years, as well as in school playgrounds and dining areas, has also been approved.
In healthcare, the Parliament has mandated active linguistic availability and normalised use of Catalan in both patient care and clinical documentation. In the justice system, the resolutions stress insufficient use of Catalan and reaffirm that knowledge of the language should become a mandatory requirement, not just an asset, for judicial staff in Catalonia.
“We want to facilitate the learning and use of Catalan, especially at work and in daily spaces, so it becomes a language of welcome, interaction and opportunity,” said PSC spokesperson Elena Díaz.
On public safety, the Parliament has urged prioritising Catalan in interventions by emergency and security forces. A six-month timeline has been set to roll out a support programme for businesses to offer services in Catalan. A social sports pact is to be promoted, alongside a formal condemnation of anti-Catalan sentiment and police actions against fans displaying estelada flags.
Monitoring and enforcement
The Parliament has also approved holding a dedicated plenary session on the current state of the Catalan language. It has urged the Office for Linguistic Rights to act with urgency and enforce sanctions for violations of linguistic rights. The resolutions demand that the government design a specific strategy for linguistic diplomacy in foreign affairs.
Rejected proposals
The PSC blocked Junts’ proposals, which included making Catalan an obligatory requirement in public service and essential sectors. Among the rejected measures was a demand for 80% of university teaching to be in Catalan, mandatory language certification for healthcare professionals and public transport staff (at B1 level), and making Catalan a requirement rather than an asset in courts.
Similarly, the PSC opposed CUP initiatives to repeal Law 8/2022 and Decree Law 6/2022, which were adopted in the previous legislature to comply with a ruling mandating 25% Spanish-language instruction in schools. The government also refused to support replacing automatic C1 certification at the end of secondary education with an external assessment or publishing quarterly reports on school linguistic inspections.
Primary sources: eb.gencat.cat, participa.gencat.cat, governobert.gencat.cat, govern.cat. Reported by elmon.cat, elnacional.cat, sc7, parlament.cat, Parlament de Catalunya, Departament d'Educació, Departament d'Edicions del Parlament de Catalunya, ACN, Departament de Política Lingüística. Generalitat deCatalunya, El Món.
