Junts party denounces removal of Catalan language from highway signs

Lawmakers challenge the Spanish Government over the replacement of official Catalan place names with Spanish versions.

Generic image of a highway signage panel in Catalonia.
IA

Generic image of a highway signage panel in Catalonia.

On February 25, Junts MPs Isidre Gavín and Pilar Calvo filed a formal complaint in the Spanish Congress regarding the removal of Catalan language from road signs on several highways in Catalonia.

The party claims the Ministry of Transport is replacing bilingual or Catalan signs with Spanish-only versions. Specific examples include changing Alacant to 'Alicante' and modifying Girona Sud by adding the Spanish word 'Sur'. They also noted the removal of accents from towns like Montornès.

"The 'Castilianization' by the PSOE returns us to the Franco era and shows a lack of care for the Catalan language."

Isidre Gavín · Member of Congress
The lawmakers argue these changes violate traffic regulations that require official place names to be respected. During a control session, spokesperson Míriam Nogueras urged President Pedro Sánchez to stop spending public funds on these linguistic changes and prioritize social issues like public housing instead.