Author: admin_euniv

On Tuesday, November 5, the Archbishop of Urgell, Monsignor Joan-Enric Vives, concluded his pastoral visit to the Andorran parishes at the headquarters of the European University, accompanied by Mn. Pepe Chisvert, Episcopal Delegate for Education and Rector of Sant Julià de Lòria, who is also Vice-Chancellor of eUniv. The prelate thus completed a pastoral program that is regularly organized every seven years, which also includes various educational institutions of the Principality.

This visit marked the Episcopal Co-Prince’s first visit to eUniv, where he was welcomed by the Rector, Dr. Antoni Noguero, accompanied by the Academic Protonotary and the University Manager, and in commemoration of the event, he was awarded the University’s Medal of Honor. During the meeting, the Co-Prince had the opportunity to tour the university campus, learn about the institutional and academic development of the University, and share perspectives with other members of the university community on various issues affecting education and the country.

Dr. Llum Torrents, coordinator and professor of the Bachelor’s in Catalan Language, has published the following article in Diari d’Andorra:

The Principality of Andorra is the only state where Catalan holds official status: the Andorran Constitution declares in Article 2 that its official language is Catalan; Article 3 of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the Principality of Andorra, from 2005, recognizes the Catalan language and provides for its protection, appreciation, and promotion; the Language Law 6/2024, in effect since this year 2024, grants Catalan the status of the native and official language and establishes that the Catalan language is a fundamental element of Andorra’s identity, personality, and cultural heritage. Despite this favorable status, the Principality of Andorra finds itself in a multilingual environment, where Catalan interacts with Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

According to the report Immigration in Andorra 2023, prepared by the Andorran Research + Innovation Sociology Group, the population originating from Spain represented, in 2022, more than 20% of Andorra’s total population, while 38.8% were Andorran-born citizens. Regarding the salaried population, workers from Spain made up the largest group in 2022, and this year also saw an increase in workers from Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The primary economic sectors involved in this multilingual context were commerce, hospitality, business services, and the sector of personal services and social activities. In this regard, the Study on Knowledge and Language Use among the Andorran Population of 2022 notes that “there is a strong presence of both Catalan and Spanish in Andorran society,” used interchangeably or exclusively, with Spanish being particularly prevalent in public service settings.

Due to geographic proximity, demographic presence, and linguistic robustness, Spanish is a strong language in Andorra, despite the diversity of languages present in the territory. Studies show that inequalities in language use can occur when citizens choose to use one language over another for convenience (using one’s native language if the interlocutor understands) or to expedite communication (if the interlocutor speaks another language that we know); in these cases, a language becomes useful if I can use it without issues in most circumstances and contexts. On the other hand, the choice to use one language or another can also be due to factors such as language loyalty, the desire to integrate into the community, or legal requirements. Speakers may continue using their native language or make an effort to use another if they believe one option offers sufficient benefits in terms of communication, social recognition, or if there is a sense of commitment.

The Official and Native Language Law defines language within the framework of linguistic rights; it includes the rights of people with hearing disabilities and deafness, establishes a legal requirement for a minimum knowledge of the language, mandates the use of the language in communications with the public, and enforces the use of Catalan by the public administration. This law also structures civil society’s involvement through entities such as the Language and Training Coordination Board and the National Language Council and includes a system of sanctions concerning Catalan language use.

Why do I think this approach is so important? Essentially, because one of the key factors that can determine the survival of a language is its usefulness to speakers. On the one hand, a language fully exists when it is used in communication; on the other, a language is a living, evolving entity because it adapts to societal changes and responds to the balance and relationships among different languages present in the same context.

Why is Catalan so important to the European University of Andorra? For our institution, language holds individual and collective significance; it is the result of our history, part of our shared memory, and cultural heritage. In the university context, language is a vehicle for specialized knowledge and enhances our understanding of the world, social progress, community cohesion, and reflects our contribution to a necessarily diverse, respectful, and inclusive world.

The Ateneu Barcelonès organized the round table “One Language, the Same Cause” on Thursday, October 24, to address the critical situation of Catalan across Catalan-speaking territories from diverse and cross-sectional perspectives. Senator of the European University (eUniv), Maria Cucurull, participated on behalf of Andorra and Cultura Activa, alongside Xavier Antich, president of Òmnium Cultural; Anna Oliver, from Acció Cultural del País Valencià; Antoni Llabrés, president of Obra Cultural Balear; and Guillem Dalmau, president of Òmnium Cultural Catalunya Nord.

During the session, moderated by Lluïsa Jordà, vice-president of Ateneu Barcelonès, it was shown that, while there are particularities in the situation of Catalan in each territory, certain underlying currents are shared. Cucurull highlighted the importance of an educational model that supports knowledge and use of Catalan, as well as the need for public institutions to allocate resources to promote the language. In this regard, the new law on Catalan as an official and native language was noted as a tool to reverse the situation of Catalan in Andorra, while it was emphasized that without resources to ensure its implementation, the law will not have the desired effect.

The discussion emphasized that there are “reasons for hope” in each Catalan-speaking territory. These include a powerful critical mass of Catalan speakers willing to promote and use Catalan, a recent ecosystem of Catalan influencers on social media who can serve as role models for young people, and initiatives like Escoltes del País Valencià, which promote the use of Catalan in recreational spaces.

The event concluded with a musical performance by Borja Penalba, who performed musical adaptations of several poems by Catalan-speaking authors.