Gaining official status in the European Union would not significantly alter the functional reality of the Catalan language, according to Nicolas Levrat, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues. This assessment directly addresses the ongoing campaign for Catalan official status EU recognition.
In a recent interview with the Catalan newspaper Ara, Levrat offered a candid assessment of the political push to recognise Catalan, Basque, and Galician as official EU languages. While acknowledging the profound symbolic importance of such a move for Catalans, the UN expert suggested that the practical impact on the language’s day-to-day usage within European institutions might be overstated.
Your browser does not support the video tag.Home » Catalan Official Status EU: UN Expert Says Move Would Be ‘Symbolic’
Symbolism versus function for Catalan official status EU
Levrat, a Swiss lawyer and career official at the Council of Europe who assumed his UN mandate in November 2023, drew comparisons with the Irish language. Although Irish (Gaelic) is an official EU language, its availability in the European Parliament remains inconsistent.
“I understand the symbolic dimension for Catalans of Catalan’s official status in the EU, but it would not significantly change the functional status of the language,” Levrat told Ara. He noted that even major official languages often take a backseat to English in international diplomacy.
“My native language is French, but the language of communication at the UN is almost always English,” he observed. Furthermore, he added that even if the EU were to strip English of its official status, it would likely remain the bloc’s primary lingua franca.
A political hurdle for Catalan official status EU
The campaign for official status has faced resistance from several member states, most notably Germany. Opponents often cite the administrative costs of translation and interpretation. However, Levrat dismissed financial concerns as a secondary issue, particularly given advances in artificial intelligence and Catalonia’s willingness to foot the bill.
“It is a political question,” Levrat stated. He pointed out that Germany already covers costs for German translation at the Council of Europe—where only English and French are official—suggesting that resistance within the EU is driven by political alignment rather than economics.
He also clarified that achieving official status is undeniably easier for nations with statehood. “If Catalonia were a state and a member state… it could naturally decide which one or ones are its official languages,” he explained. Therefore, member states have the inherent right to choose their official language regardless of the number of speakers, as seen with Malta.
Priorities of the UN mandate
Despite his expertise, Levrat confirmed he would not be lobbying the EU on this specific issue. He distinguished between seeking official status for a robust language and protecting endangered minorities, which is the core of his UN mandate.
“I work for minority languages and will push for an improvement in their situation, but I will not invest efforts in the official status of Catalan, Galician and Basque in the EU. It is not my task,” he said.
Levrat’s assessment of the health of the Catalan language was optimistic. When asked if the language is in danger, his response was clear: “No, my opinion is that it is not.”
He emphasised that many other languages in Europe face far greater peril with zero institutional backing. In addition, he praised the strength of the Catalan community, noting that the survival of a language ultimately depends on the will of its speakers rather than protection from international bodies.
“The Catalan community is very strong, not only with the language but also with the arts,” Levrat concluded. “I don’t think Catalan is the most threatened language in Europe.”
Get all of the news delivered to your phone via our WhatsApp Broadcast Channel .
