The conservative MP Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo on 5 November 2026 announced that she would abolish the interpreting equipment used in the Congreso de los Diputados for speeches in the co-official languages. In an interview, she justified this on the grounds of the political message conveyed by the so-called “pinganillos”, which in her view deepened divisions. The news agency Europa Press reported her remarks.
The response came later that same day: Míriam Nogueras, an MP from Junts, strongly disagreed on X and said her party would ensure that interpreting services continued if a parliamentary majority once again depended on it. Europa Press also reported this statement.
The dispute has a specific institutional background. Since the current parliamentary term began, speeches in Catalan, Basque and Galician have been permitted in the plenary, with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish for all MPs. The procurement, operation and cost of the equipment have repeatedly been discussed internally by parliament. A Congreso memorandum dated 25 June 2025 records discussions on introducing interpreting services. Supporters argue that the system guarantees MPs from regions with co-official languages the full exercise of their mandate. Critics such as Álvarez de Toledo see it as a breach of shared rules of communication and point to the additional costs.
Politically, the dispute goes beyond the technical issue. Junts defends the use of regional languages as part of a broader institutional settlement and repeatedly ties its support for proposals in the Congreso to language-policy commitments. The Partido Popular puts forward a centralising message in response and is also mobilising voters with its criticism of the interpreting equipment ahead of the parliamentary elections on 29 November 2026.
It is important to distinguish between facts, attributed claims and unresolved questions: Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo voiced her intention to abolish the services on 5 November 2026. The response came from Míriam Nogueras and was published on X that same day. Whether a future government or the parliamentary bodies will actually scale back or end the interpreting services remains uncertain. Formal decisions by the Congreso de los Diputados would be required; contractual commitments, budget allocations and practical arrangements would also need to be considered. No decisions on this have been made so far.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).