The Government will “flexibilize” language profiles “according to local reality”
- This was explained by the Vice-Minister for Linguistic Policy of the Basque Government, Miren Dobaran, in the Parliament of Vitoria-Gasteiz, asked about the legislative decree regulating the linguistic profiles of the public administration. He adds that the decree planned for early 2023 may not be adopted in the current legislature.
Dobaran explained Wednesday in the Committee on Culture, the Basque Parliament and Sports, at the request of EH Bildu. Ms. Rebeka Ubera of EH Bildu explains that the Department is not providing them with information on the content of the Decree Law in general and the contributions made by its particular group, or on the time limits for the approval of the Decree. Ubera has called on the Government to seize the “opportunity” to “treat the two official languages at the same level in the face of “attacks” and “guarantee the rights of all citizens and workers”. Certain requirements must be met in order to be an official.
Dobaran has sent two main ideas, “making language demands more flexible” and it is possible that the Decree-Law will not be passed in this legislature.
“Flexibility” and “asymmetry”
As to its content, Dobaran advances some of the main criteria of the decree. It ensures that the main objective is "to respect citizens' linguistic rights". He then underlined that socio-linguistic situations are very different and called for "flexibility" and "progressivity", stating that in previous years they have produced very good results. He explains that the new Decree-Law will adapt the petition to “every local reality” and will be made “flexible” with the staff. He explains that jurists are taking great weight in the drafting of the decree. According to Dobaran, the achievements in knowledge have forced “to make the leap to use”, but this leap must be “fair and reasonable”, starting from the “current reality” of public employees. He says that priority will be given to public attention and that an “asymmetry” is claimed: for example, in some places it may be necessary to speak in Basque, but not to be able to write in Basque. How do we decide to apply this asymmetry? “Logically.”
When is a new decree?
As to the date of approval of the decree, Dobaran says that he will play “long” and that you do not have to accept “inevitably in this legislature”. He has assured that different actors and areas of public administration – Ertzaintza, Osakidetza, Education… – are making contributions and that the process is “in the second phase of listening”. In April 2022, government spokesman Bingen Zupiria ordered the decree for early 2023.
