France: Solid Support for Minority Language Rights

This news published by the Celtic League:

France: Solid Support for Minority Language Rights

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

There has been huge support from across France for the ‘official recognition’ of ‘regional’ languages.

72% of those polled say that they are “favourable” to the official recognition of ‘regional’ languages, according to the Ifop poll for Ouest France.

18% of respondents say they are “very favourable” to that recognition, while only 6% of them declare themselves “completely against”.

Support for ‘regional’ languages reached 85% in the Departments where they are spoken including in Brittany.

In France, there are some 75 so called ‘regional’ languages.

The poll will be welcomed by President Hollande who will be launching a new constitutional bill which, if successful, will allow for French ratification of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML).

Its ratification, promised by Hollande during the presidential campaign, must be expressly authorised by the Constitution. Indeed, the Constitutional Council had ruled in June 1999 the Charter contrary to equality before the law for all citizens and the principle that “the language of the Republic is French”.

The Ifop poll was conducted online using the quota method with a representative sample of 1004 people from 10 to 12 June, 2015.

Link to further coverage.

(This article submitted to Celtic News by the Assistant General Secretary, Michael Chappell)

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

16/06/15

(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur.)

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