June 2004

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PROPOSAL ON THE OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF ASTURIAN LANGUAGE PRESENTED TO THE ASTURIAN PARLIAMENT

Last week, the Asturian organisation Ensame pa la Oficialidá presented a formal proposal on the officiality of Asturian language to the Junta General of Asturias (the Asturian parliament), with the aim of including it to the possible new Statute of Autonomy of Asturies. More concretely, the Ensame pa la Oficialidá asks for the inclusion of a section recognising the Asturian language officially in the Asturian territory, specifying that ‘the language of Asturies is Asturian’ and that ‘the Asturian Government and the Junta General shall promote the use of the Asturian language in all the public, cultural, educational and informative domains of life’. In accordance with the draft section, the Asturian Government and the Junta General will guarantee the normal and official use of Spanish and Asturian languages and the adequate means in order to ensure its knowledge, among other aspects. Moreover, the proposal of this organisation also sets that ‘nobody can be discriminated on the ground of language’. This proposal stands for an important step for the Asturian language, in a moment where the possibility of amending the Statute of Autonomy of Asturies is currently being discussed. Today, the only recognition of Asturian is regulated by the Law 1/1998 on the Use and Promotion of the Asturian Language, which entitles Asturian citizens to “use Bable / Asturian and express themselves in it, orally and in writing”. The possibility of having a new political statute which can recognize the Asturian identity and language can put an end to the lack of official recognition of this language. According to Ensame pa la Oficialidá, ‘the need to recognise the right of Asturian citizens to have an official status for their language is a basic right which cannot be conditioned or limited’.