Tens of thousands marched over the weekend in demonstrations in the Valencian Country and the Balearic Islands to demand an end to discrimination against Catalan speakers ahead of key elections that could bring major political changes in both territories.

In Majorcan capital city Palma, some 20 civil society organizations and trade unions called upon institutions to protect and help foster the own language and culture of the islands as they marked the Language Day on Saturday 25th. The groups argue the current Balearic government, led by the Spanish conservative Popular Party (PP) has undermined the rights of Catalan speakers by marginalising the language in school, public administration and the media, which includes disabling the reception of Catalan-speaking TV channels from Catalonia.

According to Balearic newspaper Ara Balears, some 8,000 people gathered in Palma's downtown, and a further 12,000 demonstrated in a pro-Catalan language education march. In the islands of Minorca, Eivissa and Formentera, other gatherings for Catalan language and culture were also held.

Meanwhile on the same day, Cultural Action of the Valencian Country (ACPV) group got thousands of people to demonstrate through the streets of Valencia demanding an end to "corruption and negligence" by Valencian institutions. Protesters also called for change in linguistic and cultural policies, and demanded renewed action for Valencian -the popular name Catalan language receives in the Valencian Country.

Since 1995, the Valencian autonomous government has been in the hands of PP. As they have done in the Balearic Islands, Spanish conservatives have increasingly marginalized Catalan in public life. The Valencian government blocked Catalan TV reception in the Valencian Country in 2011, and it closed down the Catalan-language Valencian TV in 2013 arguing financial reasons. Meanwhile, the Valencian government has not met demands from tens of thousands to grant Catalan-medium education to pupils.

Opinion polls say PP could be ousted from government in both territories

The Balearic Islands and the Valencian Country are now in a defining moment since both territories are set to renew their autonomous parliaments on May 24th. If PP and potential government partner Citizens' Party (C's, Spanish centre-right nationalism) do not secure a combined absolute majority neither in Valencia nor in the Balearic Islands, then a pro-Catalan language leftist majority could emerge and bring change.

In the 60-member Balearic Parliament, recent polls say PP would still be the largest party, even if it would get 22 to 26 seats, down from current 35. C's is predicted to win 3 to 5, which could prove insufficient to keep the PP in government. Centre-left PSOE could get 13 to 17 seats, which could combine with Majorcan pro-sovereignty coalition MÉS (4 to 6), left-of-centre Spanish Podemos (7 to 10) and other minor parties to form a new multi-party government, more inclined to further the rights of Catalan speakers and to strengthen the role of language in public life.

In the 99-member Valencian Corts, a similar scenario is predicted by surveys. Weighed down by corruption, PP could lose half of its current seats according to a recent El País poll: 28 MPs, down from 55 it got in 2011. Not even a deal with C's (17 seats) could give them a majority. A leftist four-party alternative government could then be created if PSOE (23 seats), Podemos (17), Valencian sovereignist Compromís (9) and Spanish federalist United Left (5) strike a deal.

(Image: demonstrators in Valencia on Saturday 25th / photo by ACPV.)