Germany, Sweden and Lithuania reject linking EU enlargement with the official status of Spanish co-official languages

At least three European partners, including Germany, Sweden and Lithuania, have shown the Government their outright rejection of linking the EU enlargement process with the official status of Catalan, Basque and Galician. To the veto that Pedro Sánchez's Executive plans to impose if his request on co-official languages ​​does not go ahead.

Diplomatic sources confirm the names of these three countries, which wanted to intervene at their own request during the General Affairs Council (CAG) since Spain had only raised one point of information. This means that no type of vote was planned and that the countries were not obliged to speak. But Sweden, Lithuania and Germany have wanted to do it, and the fact that the leading European power has taken this initiative is doubly significant: because it means that it maintains the position that it has already exhibited in the past, and because its position always drags a good number of countries when votes come to take place.

"Today there will be an exchange on the matter where we will listen to Spain's position. However, I am against a bilateralization of European integration," stated the Secretary of State for Europe in the German Ministry, Gunther Krichbaum, before the meeting. "I call for a greater European spirit," he insisted.

"I want to make it very clear that enlargement is one thing and the debate on other languages ​​is another. And, when it comes to enlargement, Sweden is a strong advocate of moving forward with Montenegro and with many of the other countries that are making progress. And I don't think these issues should be linked in that way," said Sweden's EU Minister, Jessica Rosencrantz. And the Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sigitas Mitjus, pointed out that "for Lithuania, this link is not acceptable."

On Spain's part, the person responsible for officially conveying the intention to apply this veto has been the Secretary of State for the EU, Fernando Sampedro, although it was already announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, two weeks ago, and it is a plan that comes directly from Moncloa.

"Spain remembers that three years ago Minister Albares made this proposal for the recognition of all official Spanish languages ​​and we hope that this recognition can occur before other languages," he explained before agreeing to the GAC meeting.