Andorra Reviews 78 Catalan-Law Complaints as Opposition Seeks Tougher Fines

Andorra's government said it has received about 100 complaints under the new Catalan language law, with 78 still under review and only two sanctions issued so far. Culture Minister Monica Bonell told lawmakers that 11 complaints were resolved favorably for the businesses involved and nine were archived because they lacked detail or did not constitute an offence. The two unfavorable resolutions carried fines of 1,200 euros, including cases against a hotel and a restaurant.

The exchange came during a parliamentary control session after questions from Concòrdia about whether the government is enforcing the language law strongly enough. Maria Angels Ache argued that citizens still encounter situations where they cannot be served in Catalan, especially in commercial and tourism settings. Concòrdia leader Cerni Escale said the social use of Catalan is declining and urged the government to apply more substantial sanctions so businesses take the rules seriously.

Bonell defended the government's approach, saying enforcement must follow legal guarantees and that weak or anonymous complaints can limit proceedings. She also argued that the law is having an effect beyond sanctions, pointing to increased interest in A1 and A2 Catalan exams and language-learning initiatives. The restored story is limited to the complaints, sanctions, and parliamentary enforcement debate, leaving separate cinema and broader cultural-language coverage out of the canonical source set.