Asturian people have the right to address the public administration of the Principality of Asturias in Asturian, the country's own language. That is what the Spanish Constitutional Court (SCC) has granted after rejecting a judicial review against the Act of Use and Promotion of Asturian, the main regulation protecting this Romance language. Prior to that a court from Oviedo had questioned the constitutionality of the law before the SCC after an Asturian lawyer, Xurde Blanco, lodged an appeal against a decision which invalidated his application for a work permit because it was filled up in Asturian language.

The judicial review established that the Act of Use and Promotion of Asturian was in contradiction with several articles of the Spanish Constitution. But the Constitutional Court did not decide in favour of the court in Oviedo; on the contrary, it ruled that public bodies are required to deal with citizens' queries in Asturian. The decision makes official deadlines legal even if they are in Asturian.

According to Asturnews.com, Xurde Blanco said to COPE radio station that "it is not strange that the SCC scolds the administration, since Asturian is the only language that does not deserve respect whatsoever by the Spanish State". Blanco considered the Asturian government led by Vicente Álvarez Areces (PSA-PSOE) as the "greatest enemy of the Asturian language".

Minimum protection for the language

Asturian -also known as Astur-Leonese or Leonese- is a Latin-based language with 300,000 to 450,000 speakers. It is spoken in Asturias, Leon and two Portuguese towns, Miranda do Douro and Vimioso. It is granted legal recognition by both Spain and Portugal, but it is only official in the latter.

The Act of Use and Promotion of Asturian was passed in 1998 and it is to date the only legal instrument for the protection of the language. However, there is a strong social movement in favour of granting Asturian official status in its own territory. Xunta Pola Defensa de la Llingua Asturiana, Conceyu Abiertu Pola Oficialidá and Yo Doi la Cara pola Oficialidá are among several associations and civic platforms backing official status for the language.

Further information:

• Act 1/1998, of March 23rd, on the Use and Promotion of the Asturian Language
  
• Asturies.com: El Constitucional afita la constitucionalidá de la Llei d'Usu
• La Voz de Asturias: El Constitucional avala que los asturianos usen la llingua en sus relaciones con la Administración