Language Policy and Politics: the Central State and Linguistic Minorities in Spain and Italy, 1992-2010
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Language Policy and Politics: The Central State and Linguistic Minorities in Spain and Italy, 1992-2010 Naomi Amelia Stewart Wells Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Modern Languages and Cultures July 2013 i The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his/her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2013 The University of Leeds and Naomi Amelia Stewart Wells The right of Naomi Amelia Stewart Wells to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ii Acknowledgements I would like to first thank my supervisors, Professor Brian Richardson and Dr Angel Smith, for their invaluable help throughout my research, and for ensuring that the PhD process was both enjoyable and rewarding. Thank you to Brian for supervising me from MA to PhD and for his continued support throughout. I would also like to thank the University of Leeds for its generous funding and specifically the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. I am particularly grateful to Dr Gigliola Sulis and the staff in Italian for their academic and professional support. Fieldwork would not have been possible without the willing participation of the interviewees who generously gave up their often limited time. Particular thanks to Giuseppe Corongiu, José Manuel Pérez Fernández, Oskar Peterlini and Tiziana Sinesi for their additional assistance in locating sources. Thanks also to Dr Georg Grote, Dr Chiara La Sala, Dr Angel Smith and Dr Gigliola Sulis for their vital help with identifying and contacting respondents in Spain and Italy. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family, and specifically my housemates Kate Wiles and Ella Mills for making the PhD a far from lonely experience and my parents for their support and encouragement throughout my studies. iii Abstract Linguistic minorities are playing a crucial role in determining how states are reimagining themselves in more plural and inclusive ways. Pressure from both supranational and sub-state levels of government has meant that the repression of linguistic minorities by state institutions is no longer acceptable and even attitudes of neglect are widely condemned. However, while there has been a noticeable change in attitudes towards linguistic minorities in many European states, the specific role of the central state in relation to these groups remains ambiguous and merits further study. This thesis thus compares the language policies of the central states of Spain and Italy between 1992 and 2010, concerning two specific linguistic minorities in each country. These include Catalan-speakers in Catalonia and the German-speaking minority in Alto Adige/Südtirol, which have received considerable recognition and find themselves in a comparable situation within their respective states. In contrast, the Asturian- and Sardinian-speaking minorities have received the most minimal recognition at both the regional and state levels. Three sources of primary data were identified for the purposes of this study: official state documentation and legislation, elite interviews with political and institutional representatives, and state-wide newspapers. The research reveals the rationales, ideologies and motivations behind the actions of the central states of Spain and Italy in their approaches towards these distinct groups. New insight is provided by considering cases which have not previously been compared, as well as focusing on the typically hidden language policies of the state in contrast to the visible and widely studied policies implemented at the regional or provincial levels. This approach allows conclusions to be drawn on the extent to which both states may be moving away from the traditional monolingual nation-state model and provides recommendations for future approaches to linguistic minorities at the state and European levels. iv Abbreviations Political Parties: Italy AN – Alleanza Nazionale (right-wing Italian party) PSdA – Partito Sardo d’Azione (Sardinian nationalist party) SVP – Südtiroler Volkspartei (party representing the German- and Ladin-speaking minorities in Alto Adige/Südtirol) Political Parties: Spain CiU – Convergència i Unió (centre-right Catalan nationalist coalition) ERC – Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (left-wing Catalan nationalist party) IU – Izquierda Unida (left-wing Spanish party) PAS – Partíu Asturianista (Asturian nationalist party) PP – Partido Popular (centre-right Spanish party) PSC – Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (centre-left Catalan party federated to the PSOE) PSOE – Partido Socialista Obrero Español (centre-left Spanish party) Other ASTAT – Istituto Provinciale di Statistica (Alto Adige/Südtirol statistics institute) CIRES – Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Social (Spanish research centre) CIS – Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (independent research centre on Spanish society linked to the Spanish government) ECRML – European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages EBLUL – European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages EEC – European Economic Community EU – European Union FCPNM – Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities ISTAT – Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (Italian statistics institute) RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (Italian state-owned public broadcaster) RTVE – Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (Spanish state-owned public broadcaster) UN – United Nations v Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Significance and Aims ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Scope ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 4 1.4 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Bias and the Outsider Perspective ......................................................................... 15 1.6 Thesis Structure ..................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: Linguistic Minorities in a Changing Europe ................................................. 18 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Linguistic Capital, Identity and Rights .................................................................. 19 2.3 States, Nations, Regions and Europe ..................................................................... 29 2.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 39 Chapter 3: The Case Studies: Country and Linguistic Minority Profiles ....................... 40 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 40 3.2 Italy ........................................................................................................................ 40 3.3 Spain ...................................................................................................................... 59 3.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 78 Chapter 4: The Legal Status of Contested Languages .................................................... 80 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 80 4.2 Italy ........................................................................................................................ 80 4.3 Spain ...................................................................................................................... 95 4.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 107 Chapter 5: The Compatibility of Minority and National Cultures and Identities within the State ......................................................................................................................... 109 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 109 5.2 Italy ...................................................................................................................... 109 vi 5.3 Spain .................................................................................................................... 127 5.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 146 Chapter 6: Political Representation, Autonomy and Jurisdiction over Language Policy ....................................................................................................................................... 149 6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 149 6.2 Italy .....................................................................................................................