french language

Juncker: We are not ‘under the rule’ of English

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker made a point of delivering his plenary speech at the Three Seas Initiative forum in Bucharest in French, bucking the trend of other world leaders attending the event on Tuesday (September 18).

Translations of British Brexit plan provoke ridicule

The UK government has taken the somewhat unprecedented step of translating the executive summary of its Brexit White Paper into 22 European languages.

Macron says too much English spoken in pre-Brexit Brussels

The English language is too dominant in Brussels, especially with Britain soon to exit the European Union, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday (20 March) as he vowed to fight for a wider use of French in EU institutions and abroad.

French court rules out discriminatory language rule

The French supreme court hasrejected a clause that imposed the use of French on public building sites, a predictable outcome under European public procurement law that forbids discriminating rules unless they are in the interest of workers’ safety. EURACTIV France reports.

Bundestag MPs want EU staff to use German more after Brexit

Three members of Germany's Bundestag have asked Chancellor Angela Merkel to make sure EU institutions use the German language more.

EU offers more language choice to hopeful recruits

The EU has changed the language requirements for its recruitment process. Prospective candidates will now have a wider choice and no longer be limited to just English, French or German during the selection procedure.

Paris imposes French on capital’s building sites

The Paris region has passed a new rule obliging labourers on public building sites to use French, copying action taken elsewhere in France to squeeze out foreign workers.

BuzzFeed editor: Brexit calls for European media cooperation

BuzzFeed UK Europe Editor Alberto Nardelli advocates for more translation and localisation of media content, as well as more cooperation to balance out the often biased English-speaking press.

France seeks to capitalise on Brexit to gain influence in Brussels

The idea of dropping English as an official language of the EU is tempting many in Brussels. French politicians sense an opportunity to gain some much-needed credibility. EURACTIV France reports.

French language’s global gains hide decline in Europe

The French language has gone into decline in Europe over the last 4 years, according to a study published this week by the IOF. But large gains in Sub-Saharan Africa have driven a 7% increase in the world's francophone population.

French EU circles gripped by feeling of decline: Survey

EXCLUSIVE / A EURACTIV survey of French EU professionals in Brussels, published ahead of Bastille Day, shows that an overwhelming 60% of respondents believe their country’s influence in Europe has declined since the financial and economic crisis swept the continent in 2008.

French EU elite abandons ‘defensive’ stance on language

With the decline of French language in EU institutions now accepted by most as irreversible, French lawmakers and officials have started pushing a more assertive approach, based on the promotion of multilingualism and influence rather than language issues only.

Language teaching on the rise, English still dominates

An increasing number of students are taught foreign languages in European schools, according to a new report.

Multilingualism in the Commission: Do as I say, not as I do

The European Commission, which drafts legislation which governs the lives of European citizens, works overwhelmingly in English. However a language is not simply a neutral conduit for information and there are ways of making the EU’s administration more multilingual and representative of its citizens, argues Michel Soubies.

Demand for French classes on the rise in EU circles

Despite the continued dominance of English as a working language, demand for French classes in Brussels has increased, notably among EU staff and accredited diplomats and journalists, says Thierry Lagnau, director of the 'Alliance Française Bruxelles-Europe'.

Director: Demand for French classes ‘growing by 5% each year’

Over the past 10 years, demand for French language classes has risen steadily among accredited ambassadors and the international press in Brussels. However, this renewed interest might in fact reflect the declining influence of French in the EU institutions. Thierry Lagnau, director of the Alliance Française in Brussels, explains the reasons behind this paradox.

Future of French language ‘to be decided in Brussels’

Officials at the International Francophony Organisation (OIF) have warned of "catastrophic" use of French in EU institutions, as the language's position in Brussels becomes ever more fragile, a conference heard last week (31 March).

Africa’s influence growing as Francophone summit opens

As the thirteenth Francophonie summit opens in Montreux, Switzerland, new statistics reveal an increasing dominance of African countries, whose demographic boom could end up tilting the organisation’s balance. EURACTIV spoke to Abdou Diouf, secretary-general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). 

OIF chief: ‘French remains a universal language’

French is still a "universal language"and the number of French-speakers worldwide is growing, Abdou Diouf, secretary-general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, told EURACTIV in an interview on the occasion of the body’s thirteenth international summit. 

Twenty French officials tipped for top EU posts

Up to twenty French officials – and as many Brits and Germans – are to enter the inner circles of the new European commissioners. EURACTIV France reports.

Paris applies ‘friendly pressure’ on French language use

With the Lisbon Treaty in place and recruitment ready to start for the European diplomatic service, France is on a mission to strengthen its "francophone exigency," said former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, special envoy on francophony to President Nicolas Sarkozy.

EU addresses shortage of French interpreters

European Commission representatives are in France this week to encourage young people to consider a career in languages, amid fears that the EU executive will face a "serious shortage" of French-language interpreters within five to 10 years.

Francophone leaders back Sarkozy’s finance summit

French-speaking countries gathered over the weekend for a major summit in Canada "unanimously" backed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's demand for multinational talks to revamp the global financial system.

Interview: ‘Political reality hampering Sarkozy’s EU ambitions’

France's EU Presidency objectives, primary among which is the much-vaunted 'Union for the Mediterranean' project, are so ambitious that the government may not have the means to implement them, Olivier Ferrand, the president of Terra Nova, a new progressive think tank, told EURACTIV France in an interview.