Catalan from Europe

Abstract

The fact that Catalan, at present, does not have the status of official language of the European Union (EU) is one of the many contradictions that characterize the approach to linguistic diversity adopted by the Union. Without denying the importance of obtaining the recognition of Catalan by the European institutions, this paper makes a critical reading of the «official» multilingualism practiced by the EU and argues that, in contrast to this highly symbolic and selective multilingualism, the laboratory conditions offered by the complex diversity of societies such as Catalan represent a more suitable environment for obtaining a more substantial picture of the prospects for multilingualism in today’s Europe. The contribution ends by outlining the main challenges implied by this diversity in cases such as Catalan.