Qualified Welcome for Hollande Comments on ECRML

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Qualified Welcome for Hollande Comments on ECRML

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The General Secretary (GS) of the Celtic League has welcomed the news that the French President has not forgotten about the promise he made to the Breton people, during the French presidential election campaign in 2012, to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML).

It has been reported in the French regional and ‘national’ press that French President Francois Hollande is still in favour of ratifying the ECRML.

In a letter sent to Jean-Jacques Urvoas, the Labour Party Member of Parliament for the Breton constituency of Finistère, French President Francois Hollande has allegedly stated that he is committed to ratifying the ECRML and amending the French Constitution to accommodate change.

The letter from President Hollande, dated 1st June 2015, reportedly states that he wishes that draft Constitutional law be examined by the Senate (Parliament) as “soon as possible” in order to try to accommodate the change. The letter from Hollande went on to state:

“In pursuance of the commitment I made to the French people during the presidential election, I hope that the Parliament will enable the ratification of the Charter. The revision of the Constitution is a pre-condition. The Congress of the French Parliament is the best approach. This is the reason why I asked the Minister of Justice, to work on a constitutional draft law.”

The National Assembly has already adopted the Bill of law in January 2014 and a new text must be now discussed by the French Senate.

The GS states:

“There is still time for the French President to do what’s right, by ratifying this important European treaty in respect of the Breton people. Most European Union state governments have now ratified the Charter, often with the encouragement of the French Government! But successive French Governments have remained stubbornly and frustratingly hypocritical when it comes to recognising the rights of their own national minorities living under French government administration.

If President Hollande wants to make amends for the years of suppression that Breton speakers have suffered, then he should lobby the French Senate and Assembly with immediate effect for them to accept the necessary changes to the french Constitution that would make it possible for the ECRML to be ratified.”

Links:

Langues régionales. François Hollande pour la ratification de la Charte

Charte des langues régionales : Hollande lance le processus de ratification | France info

Hollande veut faire adopter la Charte des langues régionales “dans les meilleurs délais”

Langues régionales: Hollande annonce un projet de loi constitutionnelle

Charte des langues régionales : Hollande annonce un projet de loi

(This article prepared by the General Secretary: Rhisiart Talebot)

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

06/06/15

(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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