Maria Àngels Francés on 3 September 2026 explained the state’s response to events in the Palau de la Generalitat in Valencia the office of president of the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL). The language institution of the Comunidad Valenciana will be led by the philologist for five years, making her the fourth person to head the academy, founded in 2001, after Ascensió Figueres, Ramón Ferrer and Verònica Cantó.
In her inaugural address, Francés called for the status of the Valencian language in society to be strengthened. She identified a stronger presence in schools, science and public life, along with close cooperation with universities and cultural institutions, as key priorities. She highlighted the Diccionari Normatiu Valencià, the Grammàtiques Normatives, the Nomenclàtor Toponímic and the Corpus Informatitzat del Valencià as key tools for standardisation work.
The president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, called at the ceremony for “more dialogue than ever” and a return to the “spirit of consensus” that had underpinned the AVL’s foundation almost 25 years ago. He asked the institution to act with care and independence and to engage in dialogue, and warned against turning the language into a doctrinaire or polarising issue. The AVL must remain a respected point of reference, “flexible and close to those who value Valencian”, said Pérez Llorca.
The inauguration was attended by representatives from politics, academia and culture. In recent months, debates in Les Corts over funding for language and cultural organisations had caused tensions. The parliamentary majority of Partido Popular and Vox pushed for additional funding for the cultural association Lo Rat Penat and for a redistribution of budget allocations, bringing the AVL’s role in language policy back into focus. However, no specific funding decisions were part of the ceremony.
The AVL is the main normative authority for the Valencian variety of Catalan in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. It sets orthographic and grammatical standards, conducts linguistic research and publishes reference works. With Francés taking office, the stated aim is for the institution to maintain continuity in its standardisation work while also raising the language’s profile in everyday life. Whether and how the announced dialogue between the government, parliament, civil society and the academy translates into concrete programmes and budgets will become clear in upcoming meetings and budget negotiations.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).