Spain’s government has once again postponed a vote on making Catalan, Basque, and Galician official EU languages, fearing defeat in Friday’s General Affairs Council meeting. The proposal requires unanimous backing from all 27 EU members, but several countries remain opposed. As in May, Madrid pulled the plan at the last moment to avoid an embarrassing loss.
Opposition centres on the legal precedent, costs—despite Spain’s offer to cover the estimated €132 million annually—and doubts over feasibility without treaty changes. Luxembourg’s foreign minister, Xavier Bettel, criticised the timing of the initiative, echoed by Poland and Finland.
Foreign Secretary Fernando Sampedro urged EU partners not to “delay unnecessarily” Spain’s request. The government has already watered down its proposal, delaying implementation to 2027 and limiting translation obligations to just 3% of EU legislation. A recent Spanish memo outlined seven strict conditions to prevent other regional languages from making similar demands.