Residents in the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales, including Alta Cerdanya, are set to vote in June on a new departmental name, with options including a direct reference to Catalonia. The voluntary public consultation will allow citizens to choose between three proposed names for the territory.
The consultation, running from 1 to 30 June, follows a series of citizen meetings held last autumn and winter to gather proposals. The three final options are the current name, Pyrénées-Orientales, alongside Pyrénées Catalanes and Pyrénées-Méditerranée. According to an initial poll reported by Ràdio Arrels, 49% of participants favoured an option with a "Catalan" reference, primarily Pyrénées Catalanes, followed by Pays Catalan and Catalunya Nord.
This initial survey also indicated that 23% of participants preferred to retain the current name, while 17% opted for Pyrénées-Méditerranée. All residents aged 18 and over in the department are eligible to participate in the upcoming vote.
How the Vote Will Work
Voting can be carried out via postal mail, in person at Local Social Centres (Maisons Sociales de Proximité) in Perpignan and other municipalities, or through electronic voting. Officials have stated that the system will incorporate control mechanisms to ensure the reliability of the process and prevent duplicate votes.
Hermeline Malherbe, President of the Departmental Council, and Nicolas Garcia, Vice-President, announced the results of the citizen consultations that shaped the final options. The process now enters its decisive phase with the popular vote.
Identity Debate Intensifies
In parallel with the official process, several Catalan associations have agreed to launch a campaign to support the "Pyrénées Catalanes" option ahead of the June consultation. This collective effort highlights the growing prominence of the debate surrounding territorial identity in the region.
This public vote represents a significant opportunity for the department to redefine its symbolic identity, stemming from a participatory process that has engaged citizens over recent months. The outcome will reflect the community's preferred connection to its geographical and cultural heritage.
