“From left to right”: the influence of political orientation on the language attitudes of the population of Palma toward Catalan and Spanish

Abstract Following the restoration of Spanish democracy in the 1970s, the institutions of the Balearic Islands crafted a legal framework for Catalan and Spanish that recognized them as official languages in the region and strived for the normalization of Catalan as the historic language of the archipelago. The establishment of this legal framework, however, and the consequent implementation of certain language policies, has been accompanied by a process of societal polarization in terms of language attitudes, particularly in Palma. Likewise, these language attitudes have become associated with certain political orientations, turning the linguistic situation in the Balearic Islands into a constant political debate. Consequently, this study explores the relationship between political orientation and language attitudes toward Catalan and Spanish in Palma. Data from 99 participants aged 18 to 71 were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using linear regression in R. Results revealed a significant association between political orientation and language attitudes toward both languages, as well as three main findings. First, a clear political division between progressive and conservative participants; second, distinct attitudes reflecting Catalan’s and Spanish’s social roles; and third, individual language attitudes do not necessarily align with usage patterns. Together, these findings underscore the influential role of political orientation in shaping language attitudes and emphasize the broader implications for language policy.