France doesn’t like the fact that an application test for EU positions can only be taken in English. It’s going to the European Court of Justice. The country is also concerned with a historical position.
France is fighting over the role of the French language in the European Union and against applications for EU posts only in English. A corresponding lawsuit before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is scheduled to enter the decisive phase this Thursday with the oral hearing in Luxembourg.
France criticizes “unjustified unequal treatment based on language” because in certain areas some tests are only carried out in English. “The European Union’s duty to preserve the richness of its cultural and linguistic diversity and to ensure the protection and development of Europe’s cultural heritage has been violated,” it says. French diplomatic circles said that if such a language practice were to be systematized for all application procedures, English would be preferred as the only language in the long term. This goes against the multilingualism that people feel connected to.
Emotional topic
There are various reasons why the issue is so important and emotional for France that the country is taking the Commission to court over it. “France’s problem is that we have gone from a situation in which French was the international language to one in which it is no longer that,” political scientist Christian Lequesne told the German Press Agency. There is also a certain nostalgia involved.
A lot of French was spoken when the European institutions were being built, and almost all diplomats used to speak the language. This has now declined massively. “This is what is difficult for the French to bear.” A report published by Lequesne in 2020, among others, spoke of a decline in linguistic diversity in the EU institutions in favor of English.
According to the professor at the renowned Paris University of Sciences Po, France’s attitude is also due to its view of language and politics. “In the French conception of power – and in this case – soft power, language counts.” Ultimately, people believe that politics is also made with language.
Lequesne is convinced that Paris understood that imposing French would only be met with rejection. The promotion of multilingualism is therefore seen as a means of defending the language. “But in the end, of course, it is the French language that we want to protect.” The fight is probably difficult to win, but if France doesn’t fight it, no one will fight it. Ultimately, it’s also about the EU’s connection to its citizens – and they speak different languages.
The EU Commission does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. A spokeswoman said the aim is to promote multilingualism. An important part of the selection process has always been carried out in all 24 official languages. A verdict is not expected for a few months.
Source: Stern
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