The controversy arose from statements made on a radio program, where the president of the Generalitat referred to the city as Lérida. This incident has highlighted the existing tension between the official Catalan denomination, Lleida, and its Spanish form, Lérida, especially when used by institutional representatives.
From the public administration, there is an insistence on the need to use the Catalan toponym, considering it a political obligation. However, it is acknowledged that Lérida is the correct form in Spanish, and there is even a namesake town in Colombia with which Lleida is twinned.
“"Using Lleida consistently in all registers is an exercise in defending the language and Catalonia as a nation. When we say Lleida, we are defending much more than just a toponym."
Despite the importance of defending Catalan, it is admitted that the use of Lérida can be a common slip, especially in contexts where interaction with Spanish speakers is frequent. Interestingly, it is observed that in many Spanish circles, the form Lleida is used, showing respect for the official toponym.
This situation is compared to an incident on a television program, where a presenter corrected scriptwriters for having written a collaborator's name in Spanish instead of its Catalan form. These episodes underscore the idea that, often, deficiencies in the use of Catalan may be attributable to Catalans themselves.
