Belgium officially has three languages: German, French and Dutch. An interesting article in the Guardian, a UK newspaper, brings to light how language divides the politics of this small country. On the one hand there exist the French-speaking Wallonia and on the other stands the Flemish-speaking Flanders. In this situation language is the major barrier between these two factions. Each party plays a powerful role in the government of Belgium and it seems that the government only works when these parties work together. On Thursday April 22, 2010 the Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigned after the Flemish party withdrew its support, prompting the headline "Belgian coalition government crumbles as PM resigns".
The language split is literally making Belgium impossible to rule. The article in the Guardian takes this to a further level by likening this political trouble to what could have or might plague the EU. At the present the EU is translating across 23 different languages, which undoubtedly takes up a lot of time and money. However, as in Belgium, each nation refuses to yield to the idea of working in just a few core languages. This situation presents one of the core dilemmas about language differences in government. Where is the line between choosing to reduce languages used regularly for the sake of simplicity and standing by language as part of a cultural, national or political identity?
For Belgium I think it is too late to reform these deeply ingrained language divisions politically. However, their country can be a warning about the difficulties of having a government run in different languages. This example indicates that on some level it is more efficient to have a monolingual government if language so irrevocably divides politics in a way that compromise becomes impossible. I refuse to make a blanket statement saying that all government should choose to be run solely in one language, however, it could be a unifying factor in creating new governments.
In the case of the EU, I don't think there is any way around translating between all 23 languages. Since they are dealing with so many different countries, respecting each language is key in making this union work. If one or a few languages dominate, it will give power to those countries whose languages are preferred. In a union of multiple nations, it remains crucial to allow each individual country to express themselves in the native tongue in order to ensure a feeling of equality for all.
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Very interesting article. How do you feel about the idea of making english the official language used in Belgium? I know that that proposition would be rejected in the EU but maybe on a smaller scale in Belgium that might work. Or do you just suggest that they either choose between French, Dutch or German? This article again stresses the importance of language on a political scale. People are so tied to their culture and because language plays such a large role in that identity, they are willing to fight for supremacy rights of language.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. I wrote about the language diversity and the question of whether the EU should have a common language a few days ago in my blog. Regarding the language diversity in the EU, I think it is not plausible and also unfavorable to have one common language in the EU. As you said, there are 23 very different languages within the union, and it is not possible to get one and make it an official language. Even though the translation expenses are very high (because the EU translates its important documents into all these languages), the language diversity is very important, first because people want to understand and will be more interested in the things brought to them in their own language, and secondly because European languages are a very important part of rich cultural heritage of Europe. I believe that the EU should be the ultimate uniting force that is marked by the linguistic, and this the cultural, power.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, I think English is too stigmatized as a imperialist language to be readily accepted in Belgium. However, I think that choosing a language that is not already part of the political divide in Belgium could be one solution. It would, however, take a lot of time and effort to implement such a huge reform. I think that choosing German, as it doesn't seem to be a huge dividing factor, could be an easier transformation because it is already a national language. Either way it would definitely take a lot of time, even with a new language, to ease the tension between the two political factions.
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