The oaths of the deputies of Junts, Esquerra, Bildu and BNG in the Congress of Deputies in Catalan, Basque and Galician served as a prelude this Thursday to the first announcement by the recently inaugurated president, Francina Armengol, which brings news about the use of the co-official languages in the lower house.

From now on, those deputies who wish to do so may use the three languages in their interventions. There will be no transition and the instruction will start to apply automatically. These are the main keys to the decision.

How was the Armengol announcement?

The new use of languages became known through the first intervention of the president as a third authority of the State.

“From respect, all ideas fit and can be defended, accepting without qualms the plurality of thoughts and identities that coexist in our country enriches us,” he said while considering that reflecting that plurality is an obligation to “get much closer to the real Spain “, which is “diverse” and “full of colors and loaded with nuances”.

“To move forward on this path, I want to express my commitment to Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician, and the linguistic richness that they represent”, he asserted before encouraging all his lordships to “defend parliamentary democracy” and ” preserve and respect the diversity” that coexists in the country and that the ballot boxes “have brought” to the Lower House.

What does the Rules of Congress say?

The instruction is automatically applied in view of the current wording of the Regulations of the Congress. In addition, the Regulation grants the presidency the power to interpret or complete the wording of that text if there is “omission” or “doubt”.

This is precisely the forecast that Armengol has used. The Regulation specifies that, if a general resolution is issued, it must have the favorable vote of the Board and the Board of Spokespersons.

https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2023-08-18/intervenir-constitucion-catalan-vasco-reglamento-tc_3719915/

The PSOE interprets, therefore, that no reform of the rules of Congress is necessary and the provision is applicable from now on.. The acting vice president, Yolanda Díaz, had assured in the last hours that she would “promote” a reform to allow the three languages to be used.

The history of the Senate

Catalan, Basque and Galician have already been used in the Senate since 2010 when, there, a reform approved in the Chamber was applied to allow it. In this case, the norm specifies that, along with their text in Spanish, senators may use any of the official languages in any autonomous community, in accordance with the Constitution and the corresponding Statute of Autonomy for the presentation of written in the Chamber Registry.

Senators may also intervene in plenary session, during the debate on motions, in any of the official languages in any autonomous community, in accordance with the Constitution and the corresponding Statute of Autonomy.

If the author of an initiative presents it in Spanish and, furthermore, in a language that is official in any autonomous community, in accordance with the Constitution and the corresponding Statute of Autonomy, the initiative will also be published in this language..

Abide by the Constitution in Catalan and Basque

Although the use of the language raised doubts during the constitutive session of the Chamber, the use by the deputies of Junts, ERC and Bildu of unofficial formulas to swear or promise no longer leaves room for interpretation.

A recent ruling by the Constitutional Court settled the controversy. The references made to the “legal imperative”, “loyalty to the people of Catalonia”, “the mandate of October 1”, “the defense of those subjected to reprisals”, “the Catalan Republic” and the Basque Republic were supported by the Constitutional Court in a resolution supported by the progressive majority.

The TC argued that the previous use of this type of oaths or promises did not prevent the rest of the deputies from exercising their parliamentary functions “fully”.