Plan to De-Spanishify Valencia Is Unworkable
Proposals to enforce Valencian and exclude Spanish speakers lack historical backing, political support, and relevance amid high rents.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
De-Spanishifying the Kingdom of Valencia: An Impossible Plan
A notion circulates in the Valencian blogosphere: legally imposing Valencian and expelling those who do not speak it. Launched from internet fringes, the proposal attacks Spanish speakers and migrants, accusing them of diluting local identity. It has no institutional traction, but its mere existence reveals more about the identity fracture in the Comunitat Valenciana than parties admit.
The argument relies on history, though history invites conflicting interpretations. It cites the repopulation of the former Kingdom of Valencia with Aragonese and Occitans after the expulsion of Jovenlandeses; references the Compromise of Caspe of 1412 to show Castilian was already a language of the Crown of Aragon; and recalls that the Nueva Planta Decrees of 1707 abolished Valencian legal order. In response, others note that co-official status for Valencian has been guaranteed by the 1978 Constitution for 48 years and that few European countries match Spain’s level of linguistic decentralization.
The Shadow of Pan-Catalanism
Beneath the surface lies a recurring suspicion: that anti-Castilian Valencianism is actually the vanguard of pan-Catalanism. The term Països Catalans angers those who view Valencia as a distinct nation with its own language, which should not be subordinate to Catalan academia. The clash between Valencianists and Catalanists contaminates any objective analysis. What in Catalonia was a national project with a homogeneous social base fragments in Valencia into cross-cutting loyalties.
Nationalism That Moves No Votes
The identity debate clashes with political reality. In Valencia, PP and Vox rule, both hostile to peripheral nationalism. Political Valencianism, whether anti-Castilian or pan-Catalanist, fails to translate discourse into votes; the President of the Generalitat comes from state-wide lists, not sovereignty campaigns. Some participants summarize bluntly: Valencian nationalism is a testimonial phenomenon, if not merely bait to provoke opponents.
The Demographic Background Noise
Historical arguments were joined by a hard-to-digest burden: xenophobic comments targeting migrant populations and ethnic minorities. The disqualifying tone tainted an already flawed debate, turning alleged language defense into an exclusionary trench. It is clear that for some participants, the identity issue is a screen to express rejection of demographic change.
When Rent Weighs More Than Language
The discordant note came from those pointing out that with average rents around €800, identity is a luxury for affluent societies. With housing costs and employment as priorities, the battle for linguistic purity becomes minority noise. Thus, the plan to de-Spanishify the Kingdom of Valencia remained exactly where it started: a proposal without voters, overwhelmed by economics and a citizenry preferring to discuss prices rather than centuries.
A notion circulates in the Valencian blogosphere: legally imposing Valencian and expelling those who do not speak it. Launched from internet fringes, the proposal attacks Spanish speakers and migrants, accusing them of diluting local identity. It has no institutional traction, but its mere existence reveals more about the identity fracture in the Comunitat Valenciana than parties admit.
The argument relies on history, though history invites conflicting interpretations. It cites the repopulation of the former Kingdom of Valencia with Aragonese and Occitans after the expulsion of Jovenlandeses; references the Compromise of Caspe of 1412 to show Castilian was already a language of the Crown of Aragon; and recalls that the Nueva Planta Decrees of 1707 abolished Valencian legal order. In response, others note that co-official status for Valencian has been guaranteed by the 1978 Constitution for 48 years and that few European countries match Spain’s level of linguistic decentralization.
The Shadow of Pan-Catalanism
Beneath the surface lies a recurring suspicion: that anti-Castilian Valencianism is actually the vanguard of pan-Catalanism. The term Països Catalans angers those who view Valencia as a distinct nation with its own language, which should not be subordinate to Catalan academia. The clash between Valencianists and Catalanists contaminates any objective analysis. What in Catalonia was a national project with a homogeneous social base fragments in Valencia into cross-cutting loyalties.
Nationalism That Moves No Votes
The identity debate clashes with political reality. In Valencia, PP and Vox rule, both hostile to peripheral nationalism. Political Valencianism, whether anti-Castilian or pan-Catalanist, fails to translate discourse into votes; the President of the Generalitat comes from state-wide lists, not sovereignty campaigns. Some participants summarize bluntly: Valencian nationalism is a testimonial phenomenon, if not merely bait to provoke opponents.
The Demographic Background Noise
Historical arguments were joined by a hard-to-digest burden: xenophobic comments targeting migrant populations and ethnic minorities. The disqualifying tone tainted an already flawed debate, turning alleged language defense into an exclusionary trench. It is clear that for some participants, the identity issue is a screen to express rejection of demographic change.
When Rent Weighs More Than Language
The discordant note came from those pointing out that with average rents around €800, identity is a luxury for affluent societies. With housing costs and employment as priorities, the battle for linguistic purity becomes minority noise. Thus, the plan to de-Spanishify the Kingdom of Valencia remained exactly where it started: a proposal without voters, overwhelmed by economics and a citizenry preferring to discuss prices rather than centuries.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (117 replies).
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