There are some people you don't forget and José Ignacio Wert is one of them. The Spanish Education minister from 2011 to 2015 is enjoying a luxurious retirement in Paris thanks to his nomination as Spain's permanent representative to the OECD, one of the most appealing roles in the diplomatic service and a crystal clear case of how politics can help the family. First went his wife, former secretary of state for Education Montserrat Gomendio, to become deputy director for Education and Skills at the OECD and then, a few months later, her husband. From their luxury residence of more than 500m2 (more than 5000sqft) on the renowned Avenue Foch, Wert can enjoy his prize for having been the first person to introduce the concept that Catalan students have to be "made Spanish". When he said it for the first time, it sounds strange, now it forms part of the common language of Spanish politicians and media.
Putting into action the response to the old obsessions of Catalan schools and public media (TV3), or TV3 and schools, being responsible for the indoctrination of students, liberal professionals, public workers, union members, artists, educators, businesspeople and so on up to more than two million Catalans. And while, last week, Rajoy and minister Cospedal placed the media in the centre of the target as far as situations to overturn in the future and the prime minister even complained that he hadn't been able to take advantage of central government intervention in Catalonia to take control of them thanks to opposition from PSOE, this week they're talking about taking advantage of school pre-enrolment this Spring to break with the current education model. How? By introducing an option on the form to allow for parents to choose Spanish as their children's working language.
I very much doubt that this will actually happen given that I'm convinced that by then there will be a Catalan government again and, although article 155 might remain partly in effect, the educational community will not allow such silliness. Although Ciutadans was born as a party, fundamentally, to overturn the Catalan education model and its rhetoric has infected and given PP a complex, and PSC too to some extent, there's nothing like the defence of its own language to bring together the most diverse sectors of Catalan society. To the extent that any attack which could take place would just end up boomeranging back on whoever carries it out.
This Friday will mark four months since the 'Jordis' entered prison, an eternity and a situation with no possible explanation. Sànchez and Cuixart are suffering the repression of a state which keeps them in preventive detention for no reason. It's worth remembering again the peaceful role both had over these years from the Catalan National Assembly and Òmnium. And as the Jordis, with generosity and with determination, they would evaluate the current political situation. Adding, bringing together and defending the language as a common good which not only cannot be quashed in the political brawl but which has to be the backbone which the country has to rally around. And everyone has to be called to take part in this collective project, whatever language they speak.