Javier Ortega Zaragoza

Saragossa

Updated Sunday, January 28, 2024-14:28

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Aragonese and Catalan are considered

Aragon

's "own" languages , although without the rank of co-official. It is estimated that around 25,000 people speak Aragonese, plus another 20,000 who understand and know it but do not express themselves in it. And about 17,000 individuals declare that they know how to write in Aragonese.

Regarding Catalan, there are about 55,000 speakers of this language in Aragon, in the eastern strip bordering

Catalonia

, and those who understand it would reach up to 90,000.

This recognition has its days numbered, since the PP-Vox coalition government, chaired by Jorge Azcón, has announced the reform of the Law on the use, protection and promotion of languages ​​and linguistic modalities of Aragon.

Specifically, the article that determines that "Aragonese and Catalan of Aragon, in which their dialect varieties are included, are the languages ​​and linguistic modalities of their own, will be modified." This wording was introduced in 2016 through an amendment by

CHA

, which then governed with the PSOE under the presidency of the socialist Javier Lambán, to the budget accompanying law. Then political and social protests arose from opposing groups such as the platform "We don't speak Catalan" or those who want to call what they speak in their area "chapurriáu".

With the change, PP and Vox intend to recognize the linguistic richness of Aragon, which means that Cheso, Patués, Chistabín, Ansotano, Maellano or Fragatino, among other modalities of Aragonese or

fabla

, will be protected .

Aragonese Academy of Language

The announced legislative reform will also affect the Aragonese Academy of Language, which includes the Aragonese Institute and the Aragonese Institute of Catalan. The aim is to transform this institution so that it recognizes the different linguistic varieties since, according to the current Government, academics try to homogenize a grammar, so "there is a risk" that in Aragon "Barcelona Catalan" will end up being spoken in place of its linguistic varieties.

Likewise, PP and Vox, in the investiture pact of Jorge Azcón as president, committed to eliminating the

General Directorate of Linguistic Policy

created in the first term of the Lambán government at the request of CHA.

During these years, the aforementioned general direction has signed agreements with several regions and local entities, has created the

Ferrández de Heredia chair with the University of Zaragoza

and promoted literary awards in Aragonese and Catalan, dozens of publications and numerous other initiatives.

To do this, it has had a budget that has ranged between 330,000 euros in 2020 and 385,000 last year, while in 2022 it rose to 626,000 euros due to a contribution of almost 300,000 euros from the Ministry

of Education

.

The announcement to eliminate the consideration of "own languages" comes after the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, announced last week in the Congress of Deputies that it is "urgent" to protect "two minority languages" in reference to Aragonese and to Asturian or Bable.

Urtasun announced a "joint strategy" to work with communities to defend this cultural heritage. However, the Government of Aragon does not agree that standardized Aragonese and Catalan should be protected.

According to sources from the Aragonese Executive cited this Sunday by

Heraldo de Aragón

, "the minister does not understand the cultural wealth that exists in Aragon. To say that Aragonese is spoken in Aragon like Batúa in the Basque Country is to ignore the reality of this Community."