On January 1st 2022, Emmanuel Macron will take over the Presidency of the EU for a 'rotational' six month term in office.
He has announced that his first action will be to change the official language of the EU from the current dreaded English, to French. It's good to know where his priorities lie.
This was attempted once before by Jacques Toubon. Known as the 'Loi Toubon' it was designed to insist that French was used whenever possible (in France). Toubon himself instantly became known as Jack Allgood, and the use of English throughout France seemed to increase dramatically.
People will always veer towards a language that works best in whatever situation. If the use of the word 'Cornflakes' sells your product better than Flocons de Maize, then that is what you will use.
We were amused recently, when stopped at a temporary traffic light, to see that the car in front of us was a Citroen 'Cottage'. Good luck to Macron if he tries to stop future Citroen cars being named 'Bungalow', or 'Apartment over the Chip Shop', etc.
English is the language of Diplomacy, the Air, and the Sea. It is also the world's preferred second language. We all know Dutch, or Danish, or Swedish people who speak English better than most English natives; and they are very proud to do so.
Today, English is still the world's most spoken language. There are 1 Billion, 348 Million speakers of English as a first language; of French there are just 267 Million.
If 'Teacher's Pet' Macron thinks he's going the change all that; then good luck to him.
You don't like Macron, do you? Let dislike of a person not distort one's judgement.
ReplyDeleteU
No-one here likes Macron; he's acting like a dimwit. He's allowing his hatred of the UK rule his political life. This anti-English language nonsense is just the cherry on the cake.
Deleteursula sie haben so recht ,und dabei noch ein guten Tag
DeleteIf I had slapped Macron he would have fallen over. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind a fight with Scruffy Johnson who is currently licking Joe Biden's buttocks. I would beat the **** out of him.
ReplyDeleteI understand your political leanings, but may I suggest that Boris has more brain in his little finger than Biden has up-top. I think you may find that 'logic' will overcome Biden's rose-tinted-glasses.
DeleteI would not dispute the fact that Boris is bright but he is intellectually lazy and doesn’t put in the work. He has also handled the Pandemic appallingly.
DeleteI'm sure that mistakes have been made, however, one has to remember that London is one of the very few world 'hubs', and that the UK relies heavily on international movement. Once it was understood that this was causing serious problems, the airports should probably have been closed. All this will come out in the enquiry.
DeleteI don't "do" politics in blogland but love the idea of a Citroen Cottage - as long as things never get so bad that people have to actually live in them!
ReplyDeleteWe'd not heard of the 'Cottage', and frankly thought it laughable. I'm sure they could have thought of a French name; if not, contact me.
DeleteDo I care? Not really any more.
ReplyDeleteFrankly I couldn't care less either, it's just this total nonsense that annoys me. To make this his priority seems very silly.
DeleteWhat a strange set of comments you have here. On the topic you wrote about I agree with you and Graham, I no longer care, and I am pleased to be the position of not having to care. When I read the post my first thought was that it was a joke and you were making it up. Thanks for alerting me to it as I was unaware. EU news is not something they mention on Aljazeera.
ReplyDeleteYou would be forgiven for thinking it was a joke; sadly it's Macron who's the joke!
DeleteSoy español y no se inglés.
ReplyDeleteEstudié en el colegio, hace 50 años francés y todavía me acuerdo de algo.
Leo blogs usando GOOGLE TRASLATOR.
Traduce perfectamente el inglés al español.
e viva GOOGLE translator bonne journee a vous
DeleteLady Magnon tells me the Google ain't too hot between Norwegian and English. If often translates as total rubbish.
DeleteScary comments - shall not add to them.
ReplyDeleteUrsula always likes to be contradictory; on any subject. It's her raison d'etre.
DeleteThe slapping incident just goes to show that you need to see a persons whole face to work out the possibility that things might go wrong.
ReplyDeleteHe was too close; one needs to take a good swing!
DeleteIsn't it only the Olympics that has the official language of French? I vaguely remember the French government pushing a very long and ponderous name for a Sony Walkman, something including Promenade.
ReplyDeleteMacron is a politician and perhaps the pushback against the English language goes down well with certain local voters.
I suspect this is what it's really about.
DeleteThe French like to think it was de Coubertin who invented The Olympics. He was of course very much involved in its revival, so they claim the right to French as the official language. Of course everything is announced in English and French.
Deletebonjour Ami Cro,Macron et sa politique imbecile et peu elegante envers les anglais est terriblement deteste par les francais de tous bords,c est un petit marquis arrogant et orgueuilleux!mais nous n avons que peu d alternatives politiques,ici on craint l extreme droite,pour ce que qu elle evoque de barbarieet son progamme economique est nul,macron joue sur tout cela!bonne journee a vous,ps:je voudrais vous ecrire en anglais mais la religieuse professeur d anglais ,soeur Modesta ne m aimait pas lors de mes annees pensionnat,je lui tiens rancune encore aujourd hui;cela m a toujours navree amities
ReplyDeleteHave no fear Paule, my French is good enough to understand your comment. Of course one day a more diplomatic middle-of-the-road politician will appear, and things will get better. In the meantime I fear for the EU with Macron at the helm next year. I'm sorry that you suffered at the hands of Soeur Modesta; I think we all had one of those in whatever subject it might have been. Best wishes from Périgord.
DeleteI think it more likely that Le Pen will succeed, unless they resort to cheating. People seem heartily fed up with the globalists.
DeleteCitroen Cottage! Not seen one of those. I have seen Volkswagen Trainspotters and Seat Aromas, among others.
ReplyDeleteHeavens knows what a Citroen Cottage is designed for... I didn't think we had that sort of thing here!
DeleteNot forgetting the Renault Duster please.
DeleteI don't even know what 'Duster' is supposed to refer to; kicking-up dust maybe?
DeleteA duster here can be an old lady style loose fitting bathrobe. It makes me laugh at the idea of a car being named after an old lady in a night gown brandishing a cleaning rag at her fragile bric-a-brac. Hardly the picture the car manufacturer intended, I imagine.
DeleteThat was more along the lines of what I was thinking Debby, or the yellow duster with which we dust away the cobwebs. I would not want a car called a duster!
DeleteI got a bit waylaid this morning on google maps looking around the Périgord region, wondering where the Casa Magnon might be. Lo! what do I find marked up but a defunct nudist colony, which in French is only colonie nudiste and thus not so hard to understand for the English speaker, but many questions still remain ...
ReplyDeleteNot very Catholic; that sort of thing. I do remember hearing about a defunct nudist colony somewhere nearby, I shall have to make enquiries.
DeleteThey have been trying to do a version of that here in Canada too. It isn't going over so well.
ReplyDeleteI'd be OK in Canada; I speak both.
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