Saying 'this country' instead of Spain: language as a political battleground

The debate over whether saying "this country" is a political indicator has resurfaced. A simple linguistic variation, or a mark of national loyalty?

The expression "this country" has become a rhetorical battleground. For some, it is a neutral way of referring to Spain without repeating its name; for others, it is a deliberate detour to avoid saying "Spain" and therefore a concession to separatist discourse. The nuance is no small matter: according to some, word choice betrays the speaker's ideological position.

Avoiding "Spain" or simply linguistic economy?

Those who defend the use of "this country" argue that it is a colloquial, efficient expression with no political charge. "It is totally neutral," they maintain, adding that attributing intentions to it is an overreading of everyday language. The opposing view, by contrast, sees a symptom here: refusing to explicitly name Spain —or saying "our country"— would be a form of distancing, especially when combined with other usages such as "the State" instead of "country" or "Castilian" instead of "Spanish".

Context matters (a lot)

The debate is not new: as far back as the Transition, "this country" was associated with a certain critical attitude. But today it is resurfacing with force on social media and in TV talk shows. Some point out that the expression is more frequent in left-wing and separatist discourse, while on the right it is perceived as a renunciation of national identity. Others recall that language is alive and that the same phrase can miccionan different things depending on who says it and in what tone.

The final irony: the fact that an expression as vague as "this country" has become a test of political alignment says more about polarization than about the phrase itself. While some read it as renunciation, others see it as mere habit. Language, like almost everything today, ends up being a trench.