Iberoamerica and Spain: Spanish in the Paradigm of Politics

Spanish language occupies a special place in the world: the total number of speakers of Spanish exceeds 577 million. But only 46 million live in Spain, and the vast majority are citizens of Ibero-American countries. Spanish language forms the axis of identity for the Spanish-speaking community and maintains unity, despite the diversity of its national variants. However, the question of the unity of the pan-Spanish linguistic space has deep political connotations, as evidence the heated discussions at international congresses of the Spanish language and difficult socio-political events, both in Spain and in Ibero-America. Language is often used as an instrument for conducting political activities with the aim of solving certain political problems and exerting influence on the society.