Three headlines from last week shed light on the relationship between language imposition, separatism and democracy in Spain.

„Catalan Government campaign advises pediatricians not to treat children in Spanish“ (ABC.es)
Mazón (Valencian prime minister): „that dream of the Països Catalans, ..., neither has existed, nor exists nor will exist. I am the one who is not going to tolerate any more contempt to the Comunidad Valenciana on the part of the Catalan separatism. I will never tolerate it“ (elperiodic.com)
„Spanish language advocates and pancatalanists criticize new Valencian education law“ (autonomico.elconfidencialdigital.com)

Language Imposition

„Catalan Government campaign advises pediatricians not to treat children in Spanish“

Mother tongue under stress: would an English shout „Socorro“ or „Help“ when in distress? Not every visit to the doctor is an emergency, but when it comes to your own health, you are not completely stress-free. How helpful it is if you can talk to the doctor in your native language. Now, in multilingual areas or on foreign-language vacations, it cannot always be guaranteed that the doctor will understand your native language, but depending on the circumstances, there is usually someone who can help with translations and thus reduce stress. You don't have to put yourself in a child's shoes to understand what it means when the doctor finds it more important to force children to speak in a „politically correct“ language instead of primarily dealing with their problem. Such behavior is a disregard for the child's welfare that borders on sectarian madness.

I trust that the overwhelming majority of Catalan pediatricians will be more concerned with the child's welfare.

Separatism

„that dream of the Països Catalans, ..., neither has existed, nor exists nor will exist. I am the one who is not going to tolerate any more contempt to the Comunidad Valenciana on the part of the Catalan separatism. I will never tolerate it“

Geopolitically, it has long been a reality that NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are financed by governments (sometimes only secretly) and deployed abroad to interfere in politics.

I don't know if Spain is the only country in the world where a regional government (Catalonia) finances and maintains NGOs in a neighboring region (Balearic Islands, Comunidad Valenciana). This blog came about when I discovered that the language imposition here in Valencia serves Catalonian separatism and the imperial idea of the „Països Catalans“. A language imposition that even went so far as to Catalanize Valenciano, the local regional language, under the previous socialist government. I first reported on this peculiar financing on my blog on Oct. 4, 2018 under the title Escola Valenciana. (Please scroll down)

It is to be welcomed that the current government wants to put an end to this paternalism. The majority of Valencians do not want this, as the numerous demonstrations in this regard prove. The cover of my book with the slogan: „Som valencians. Somos Españoles. No as Països Catalans“ (We are Valencians. We are Spaniards. No to the Catalan countries) at the head of a march shows this fact.

Democracy

„Spanish language advocates and pancatalanists criticize new Valencian education law“

It sounds as if only extremists are against this law, which prevents the freedom to choose the language of instruction and continues to impose a certain compulsion to speak Valenciano. A quick reminder helps. Before the election, the Valencian election winners PP and VOX had promised to support the demands of „Hablamos Español“ and the popular initiative for a free choice of language of instruction. After winning the election all promises are cynically forgotten..

Now people such as in the organization „Hablamos Español“ are also being defamed and ridiculed in the media with the term „Spanish language advocates“. The demand „free choice of language“, as shown by the demonstrators in front of the Cortes Valencianes, is not identical to „Spanish language advocates“.

But unfortunately, that's how democracy works today.