Spain will allow lawmakers to speak Catalan, Basque and Galician languages in Parliament

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Parliament is set to allow its national legislators to use the country’s minority languages of Catalan, Basque and Galician in national Parliament for the first time on Tuesday. The reform of the linguistic policy of Spain’s lower chamber was a demand of Catalan separatist parties to support the appointment of a Socialist as the new Parliamentary Speaker last month following inconclusive national elections in July. The Parliament will provide simultaneous translation with earpieces for the 350 members of the chamber. Over 11 million people in Spain speak a second language in addition to Spanish.