Public Messaging and a Language Mix Spark Controversy
“And let us know that on June 9 you will exercise your vote.” “We will answer your trust.” The PP of Valencia (PPCV) has found itself in a troubling moment during the early days of the electoral campaign. A mistake tied to language and regional dialects has unsettled campaign staff across the party’s machinery. A routine institutional mailing, sent to many households, arrived entirely in Catalan with phrases like ‘sortir’ or ‘teva,’ typically associated with the Barcelona variant. This misstep, which surfaced on Monday on social media, prompted an apology from the PP’s campaign director, the Valencian Esteban González Pons.
The issue was quickly labeled an printing error, but its implications ran deeper. In a later statement, the campaign’s director explained that the error occurred at a printing house not controlled by the PP. The Valencian candidate—also listed as number four on the electoral list—expressed regret and took responsibility, noting that a new batch of letters had already been produced in proper Spanish and Valencian. The aim was to replace the earlier rounds to the extent possible, with a pledge to continue working with humility and dedication, even if mistakes happen. The party circulated the message again today to reassure supporters.
In the social media chatter that followed, observers highlighted the use of the Valencian language in official campaign material. The mailing included images of national leaders such as Carlos Mazón, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and Dolors Montserrat, who was the PP candidate for the European elections on June 9. As Valencia navigates a period of administrative change, the linguistic dimension has been a prominent feature. The ongoing debate touches on educational policy and a proposed new administrative Valencian model for use by the Generalitat, which appears to shift closer to everyday speech on the street and away from some formal norms.
Community responses reflected a mix of surprise and scrutiny over how language rules were applied in the campaign. For some, the incident underscored the sensitivity of regional languages in public outreach and the need for careful localization of political messaging. For others, it highlighted the broader challenge political parties face when coordinating multilingual communications across diverse regions while maintaining a consistent national brand. The episode reinforces the idea that language is not just a backdrop but a live, political instrument that can shape perceptions of authenticity and responsiveness in government and opposition alike. The current discourse also mirrors broader conversations about how political language should adapt to the lived experience of speakers in Valencia and across the Valencian Community, including discussions around a new model of administrative Valencian that may influence governance and daily administration.
This event serves as a case study in the importance of linguistics in political operations. It shows how small production choices—such as the choice of dialect in a mailing—can become focal points for debates about regional autonomy, identity, and the perceived empathy of public figures. It also illustrates the delicate balance parties must strike between respecting regional language varieties and presenting a unified, comprehensible message to voters across different linguistic backgrounds. The episode invites observers to consider how future campaigns can better align materials with regional linguistic norms without sacrificing clarity or broad accessibility. The sentiment in the aftermath focuses on accountability, continuous improvement, and a willingness to correct missteps quickly, a standard often expected in political campaigns today.
Overall, the Valencia mailing controversy highlights how language policy, regional culture, and electoral strategy intersect in practical, high-stakes ways. It emphasizes that political messaging cannot be separated from the linguistic realities of the communities it targets, and it invites ongoing dialogue about how to craft campaigns that reflect the everyday speech of citizens while maintaining the accuracy and integrity of official communications. The incident will be studied as part of the evolving narrative about language, politics, and regional governance in contemporary Spain, with ongoing monitoring of how parties manage linguistic considerations in future outreach and policy proposals.
[Citation: internal campaign briefing and media coverage attributed to party communications staff and regional political observers.]