An internal EU document seen by POLITICO reveals mounting skepticism over Spain’s recent proposal to make additional official languages—such as Catalan, Basque, and Galician—recognized throughout the bloc.
While some countries, including Belgium, Cyprus, Portugal, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovakia, backed the initiative, others expressed significant reservations. Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, and Sweden rallied behind Italy’s call for more detailed information about the potential financial and legal impacts of the measure.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged Madrid would cover the costs of incorporating the new languages into the EU’s translation and interpretation systems, which could require millions of euros in additional spending. However, Sánchez’s assurances have not fully convinced other EU members.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, two EU diplomats confirmed to POLITICO that the bloc’s member states remain divided on the issue.
Opponents of the proposal worry that expanding the list of official EU languages could place further strain on the union’s already costly translation processes. The EU currently spends over €1 billion annually to provide translations of all legislation and official documents into its 24 official languages.
It remains uncertain how much more the proposal would add to the EU’s budget or whether Madrid would indeed continue to shoulder those costs over the long term—leaving many countries wary of committing to the plan without further clarity.
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