The situation of minority language rights in France and Romania discussed in Strasbourg
The issue of regional and minority language use in France was the main subject of the May 24th meeting of the European Parliament’s Minority Intergroup.
The debate organized by the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL) took place because language rights claims became increasingly louder during the demonstrations in the regions of Bretagne, Corsica, Occitania and Alsace of France. The successful coordination is mainly the merit of the French EBLUL.
The Minority Intergroup put this debate on the agenda immediately after the French presidential elections because François Hollande included the reassuring settlement of regional and minority language rights into his election programme and made promises that France will finally ratify the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages thus acknowledging the rights of native speakers of regional and minority languages to use these languages.
Invited speakers included specialists such as renowned French legal expert and specialist of the Council of Europe Jean-Marie Woehrling, Breton language rights activist Tangi Louarn and Occitan journalist David Grosclaude, who also acts as political advisor in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region. Analyzing the new political situation, all three specialists agreed that speakers of minority languages in France hopefully await the ratification of the Charter.
Upon a proposal from DAHR’s MEPs Csaba Sógor and Gyula Winkler, the next guests of the Intergroup will be Hungarian DAHR representatives from Romania who will raise awareness among MEPs dedicated to the cause of minorities about the recent, troubling events in Romania concerning the Hungarian minority.
DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor explained: Together with my colleague, Mr. Winkler, we asked for the subject to be put on the agenda, because through the Intergroup we want to call attention to the problems the Hungarian community in Romania is facing, hoping that these dangerous tendencies can be corrected and future negative actions prevented.
The Minority Intergroup put this debate on the agenda immediately after the French presidential elections because François Hollande included the reassuring settlement of regional and minority language rights into his election programme and made promises that France will finally ratify the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages thus acknowledging the rights of native speakers of regional and minority languages to use these languages.
Invited speakers included specialists such as renowned French legal expert and specialist of the Council of Europe Jean-Marie Woehrling, Breton language rights activist Tangi Louarn and Occitan journalist David Grosclaude, who also acts as political advisor in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region. Analyzing the new political situation, all three specialists agreed that speakers of minority languages in France hopefully await the ratification of the Charter.
Upon a proposal from DAHR’s MEPs Csaba Sógor and Gyula Winkler, the next guests of the Intergroup will be Hungarian DAHR representatives from Romania who will raise awareness among MEPs dedicated to the cause of minorities about the recent, troubling events in Romania concerning the Hungarian minority.
DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor explained: Together with my colleague, Mr. Winkler, we asked for the subject to be put on the agenda, because through the Intergroup we want to call attention to the problems the Hungarian community in Romania is facing, hoping that these dangerous tendencies can be corrected and future negative actions prevented.
