# Catalan identity name change vote in Northern Catalonia

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catalan-identity-name-change-vote-in-northern-catalonia
> Updated: 2026-08-28T20:00:32.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

A public consultation was held in Catalunya Nord to determine if the official name of the department should be changed. Voters were presented with three options: maintaining the current name, ‘Pirineus Orientals’, or adopting ‘Pirineus Catalans’ or ‘Pirineus Mediterranis’. The ‘Pirineus Catalans’ option was noted as the only choice that explicitly incorporated Catalan identity into the official designation.

Following the conclusion of the vote, the existing name, Pyrénées-Orientales, was retained with 47% of the vote. The ‘Pirineus Catalans’ option received 42% of the votes, while ‘Pirineus Mediterranis’ received 11%. Although the result was a setback for proponents of the Catalan-focused name, the president of the department, Hermeline Malherbe, stated that the 42% support demonstrates a “significant interest in Catalan identity that must be taken into account.” The results are subject to ratification by the Council of State.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-28: Pyrénées-Orientales to retain name following local vote

The Pyrénées-Orientales department in Northern Catalonia will keep its current name after a vote where the existing designation won with 47%, narrowly beating the identity-focused ‘Pirineus Catalans’ (42%).

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pyrnes-orientales-to-retain-name-following-local-vote

### 2026-08-14: Catalunya Nord concludes vote on department name change

Residents of Catalunya Nord are voting to decide if their department's name should be changed from 'Pirineus Orientals' to either 'Pirineus Catalans' or 'Pirineus Mediterranis'.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalunya-nord-concludes-vote-on-department-name-change

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Cite as: Catalan identity name change vote in Northern Catalonia. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catalan-identity-name-change-vote-in-northern-catalonia