In Sant Cugat del Vallès, the Associació de Municipis per la Independència (AMI) has called for more Catalan language and linguistic policy departments in town councils across Catalonia. The group, which represents more than 700 municipalities, made the appeal during its second National Meeting of Local Elected Officials.
At present, only about 20 councils in Catalonia have a dedicated department of this kind. AMI president and Cornellà de Terri mayor Salvador Coll said the meeting was meant to reinforce the Catalan language, and added that more policies are needed to favour its use.
Sant Cugat’s language policy councillor, Núria Fernàndez, said she is pleased with Catalan’s position in the municipality, but said work is still needed, especially in the commercial sector. Josep Maria Vallès, the mayor of Sant Cugat, welcomed attendees and defended Catalan as a central part of collective identity.
The meeting also set out a series of commitments for local administrations, including local language tables with cultural, social and sports organisations, more Catalan in public life, support for newcomers, and protection of linguistic rights across all municipalities. For readers following local policy in the city, our Community coverage tracks how these decisions affect everyday life.
Two round tables focused on practical steps. One, titled “From the Community Centre to TikTok: Municipal Policies to Activate Catalan Among Young People”, looked at how councils can make Catalan more relevant for younger residents. The other covered municipal language reception policies for new residents, with contributions from mayors and councillors from several Catalan towns.
The AMI’s proposals sit within wider efforts to protect and promote Catalan in daily life across the region. For official language policy information, see the Generalitat de Catalunya language portal. You can also read our related report on how Barcelona must safeguard linguistic rights in nurseries, which is linked from this story’s coverage path.
