In recent months the Basque Country has received several battles through judicial rulings. The High Court of Justice of the Basque Country has recently issued rulings stating that municipal administrations should not necessarily prioritize Euskera in their actions or that linguistic profiles in the opposition processes of personnel are not mandatory. The judgments stress that in Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa there are two official languages, both of which must be equal: “There can be no one above the other. The two languages are officially equal and one cannot be prioritized.”

The judges' arguments raise powders. Although, first of all, it is acknowledged that the Public Administration is acting properly so that citizens can recognise their right to communicate with public service workers in the language they prefer, it challenges their argument. Thus, the cars claim that this claim cannot be based on the hiring of people who dominate the two co-official languages, which means that it limits the right of people who know only one of them, Spanish.

It has been more than 40 years since the intention to normalize the use of Euskera appeared. It could be done without compaction, by taxation. However, flexibility was chosen, which in the long term has not returned among the Castile-Leon beneficiaries. And I'm not saying it wasn't right, but four decades later, the Basques are still denied the right to communicate with public employees in their language.

More debates must be held around the Basque country, it is not time to silence. Basque speakers are rejected throughout the Basque Country; we cannot live normally in our language. For example, lehendakari Urkullu in his speech at the Congress of Family Enterprises on 24 October made murmurs and coughs in which he complained in Basque. Therefore, if they are despicable and capable of attacking the highest authority of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, what are they not going to do to humble citizens? We cannot accept such attacks and leave them as if nothing happened. Those who defend the superiority of Spanish want to condition public debate to bring society to temperate positions, so that only minimal and cosmetic changes are accepted, thus imposing a monolithic concept of the State, together with the hegemony of Spanish.

It is therefore important to stress the importance of participating in the demonstration to be held in Bilbao on 4 November to denounce the aggression against the normalisation of the Basque country and to promote Basque cultural activity. The Basques will not silence us as they attack us, we will not stop, staying at home, afraid to speak in Basque.

Aritza Urrengoetxea Cordovilla, Professor