Secular Café: The language of Europe

Secular Café For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

The language of Europe Feb 28th 2013, 14:06 Is this just flattering the UK in a bid to keep them within the EU or is it a practicality? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...ritain-stay-eu Quote: Germany's president has called for English to be made the language of the European Union as he appealed to the UK to stay in the EU. Joachim Gauck earned applause for his remarks, made in Berlin on Friday in a speech on Europe's future at a time of rising German scepticism towards Brussels. "Dear English, Scots, Welsh, Northern Irish and new British citizens, we want to continue having you on board," he said. "We need your experience as the oldest parliamentary democracy, we need your traditions, your sober-mindedness and your courage." He said that to encourage a greater sense of commonality, Europe needed a common language as well as encouraging multilingualism. "I am convinced that, in Europe, both can live side by side," he said. "The sense of being at home in your mother tongue, with all its poetry, as well as a workable English for all of life's situations and all age groups." In practice, English has more and more become a lingua franca in Europe, but the French would fight any official change tooth and nail. England and France have too much historic rivalry and enmity.

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