- The sanctions, ranging from EUR 6,000 to EUR 10,000, amount to EUR 2,000,000. Catalan is the only official language in Andorra, although the mother tongue of half the population is Spanish.
The Minister of Culture of Andorra has asked all citizens for a "minimum effort" to take care of Catalan and speak in a local language. What is more: "If customers change language, the seller will speak to you in Catalan," added the owner of Commerce.
As the Andorran Government has so far continued to encourage such practices, but since this is not being done, sanctions will be imposed on those who fail to comply with the law from January onwards. They shall not be minor penalties: Prices can vary between 6,000 and 10,000 euros.
Catalan, the only official language of Andorra
Unlike what happens to Euskera in the administrations of the Basque Country, in the Principality of Andorra Catalan is the only official language. The presence of Castilian is evident, but it does not have the same weight as Catalan.
According to the data provided by the Andorran Government, 44% of residents in Andorra are Catalan, compared to 35% in 2018, and 40% in Spanish. Like home language, the use of Catalan has also increased: In 2018, 55% used it as the main language, and in 2022, 63.7% used it.
The Andorran Government wishes to strengthen this data in favour of Catalan, which has already announced its vote. The Minister of Culture believes that they are going "in the right direction", but she believes that "more needs to be done", she added. "Language has to be an instrument of integration," he said in allusion to those who migrate there. Therefore, once in Andorra, they will be given "an informative diptych" about the rights and duties related to the use of Catalan.