Common official languages in the EU
European Ministers of General Affairs met this Monday to discuss democratic health in four member states, including Spain, as part of a periodic review. This follows the European Commission’s annual rule-of-law report for the bloc of 27, with Spain currently in the midst of parliamentary action on the amnesty law in the Cortes. Brussels is awaiting the finalization of the measure before it takes further steps.
The format allocates about half an hour for each country under review, with Spain, France, Italy, and Croatia as the latest quartet. A presentation from the European Commission typically opens each dialogue. Then delegates from other member states may speak, and the delegation hosting the debate closes the session with a synthesis of the discussion. The 2023 report’s main themes are usually highlighted by European officials, followed by feedback from participating delegations. Sources familiar with the process told Europa Press that the speaker outlines its state position, after which other members offer remarks.
Addressing the democratic health of each partner is not unusual; since late 2020, the 27 have held these dialogues periodically in groups of four or five countries. Spain has participated in the review before, the last time being in April 2021.
The latest appointment comes just days before the first meeting between the PSOE and the PP, facilitated by the European Commission. The goal is to remove blockages in reform efforts around the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, acting as mediator, summoned Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, and Esteban González Pons, the PP Deputy Secretary for Corporate Affairs. The initial meeting occurred in Brussels on a recent Wednesday, with a two-month window given to reach a possible agreement.
In the Commission’s 2022–2023 rule-of-law recommendations for Spain, reform of the CGPJ and the broader system remains a top priority, with the expectation that reforms would follow closely after the discussions. These recommendations are intended to guide the mediation process Reynders hopes to run.
The annual assessment, produced by EU institutions, does not indicate systemic risks to Spain’s rule of law, but it does urge an urgent resolution of the CGPJ stalemate and progress on the amnesty legislation. The report also notes that PSOE reportedly reached agreement with ERC and Junts to ensure Pedro Sánchez’s appointment path remains intact. The Commissioner for Justice has repeatedly stated that the rule-of-law framework will be examined carefully, acknowledging public and judicial concerns, while making clear that the measure will be held until Spain’s parliamentary process has run its course.
During this same period, the common official languages debate remained a delicate issue. The Monday meeting marked the first General Affairs gathering since Spain handed over the EU Council presidency to Belgium, and it was the first occasion since last September that Catalan, Basque, and Galician languages did not appear on the agenda. The Spanish administration used its presidency to discuss the official status and practical implications of multilingual provisions, a topic that has drawn varied opinions across member states. Any change to EU language rules requires unanimity among all 27 states, a tall order that has repeatedly stalled progress.
Over December, several delegations criticized the lack of concrete data on the legal, practical, and financial impacts required to move forward. EU officials interviewed by Europa Press stressed that they did not possess sufficient information to decide, and some diplomats described December’s discussions as uncertain and potentially the final round of a long season in which Spain’s government had a lead role. Belgium took over the EU Council presidency on January 1, signaling a commitment to careful, technically grounded analysis during its term. Belgium indicated it would pursue thorough, data-driven evaluations and did not anticipate rapid high-level discussions without substantial steps at the technical level.
From the Belgian perspective, the ministerial meeting should not be treated as a mere working group. Spain’s request to revisit high-level discussions was not expected to reappear until meaningful progress had been achieved in the underlying technical analyses and reforms.