After suspending it earlier this week, the European Parliament has now allowed an exhibition on the Catalan language to go ahead on 4th March. The organisers, MEP Ramon Tremosa (PDeCAT) and the Platform for the Language have convinced officials to change their minds "after long negotiations".
Tremosa revealed and celebrated the news on his Twitter account:
Una bona notícia: després de llargues negociacions amb els qüestors del @Europarl_CAT, ens auroritzen l’exhibició prevista sobre el català, que organitzàvem conjuntament amb @llenguacat 😉👍 pic.twitter.com/yDv1TWZ47I
— Ramon Tremosa 🎗🌹 (@ramontremosa) 22 de febrer de 2019
The Parliament had suspended the exhibition "The Catalan language: 10 million European voices" arguing it was no longer appropriate after Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap election for April.
Officials had already disputed parts of the exhibition, asking for changes to information panels which they believed to be "biased" and "provocative in the current political climate".
The change of decision was also celebrated by president Carles Puigdemont: "Very good news! When the European Parliament get it right it also has to be mentioned and congratulated. Well done to the European Parliament and above all many thanks".
Molt bona notícia! Quan al Parlament Europeu l'encerten també s'ha de dir i s'ha de felicitar. Well done @Europarl_EN @Europarl_CAT i sobretot molte gràcies @ramontremosa i @llenguacat https://t.co/Ve7lclbGyR
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) February 22, 2019
Vox too
The very day the suspension of the Catalan language exhibition was publicised, far-right Spanish party Vox announced an event they plan to hold in the Parliament on 6th March. The poster for the event, entitled "Catalonia, a Spanish region" discusses what they call the "coup d'état" attempted by supporters of Catalan independence.
The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, said that that event has not yet been given final authorisation and that the decision is now with the chamber's security services.