Humphrey CarterPalma24/12/2020 10:04
TW
0

Linguistic goodwill to all men is in limited supply in the corridors of Palma town hall. This is because three men in particular are apparently only capable of speaking Catalan. The men in question are the Three Kings, who for now are still men, Podemos not having yet got round to issuing municipal ordinance decreeing their feminisation.

The anti-Podemos, Vox, have said that it is “shameful” that Mayor Hila has allowed ideology to be placed “above the citizens”. He, the mayor, knows perfectly well that there are children and entire families in Palma who do not speak Catalan. What happens to them when they receive a letter from the Kings which is only in Catalan?

Mayor Hila, not Podemos of course, has let the ubiquitous councillor for citizen participation, Alberto Jarabo of Podemos, reply to the Vox criticism. The town hall will not be “rectifying”, having spent almost four grand on the letters in the language that is “the community’s own”; by community he means the Balearic region. If the children do not understand the letter, there will be those - neighbours, for example - who can help with translation, “which is also a good way to share the joy of having received the Kings’ letter”.

Such a seemingly simple and innocent thing - a letter from the Kings - and they manage to generate controversy. Could they not have had it in Castellano as well? There should be no implied discrimination, especially as the real Kings spoke neither Catalan nor Castellano.