Brexit could bolster use of French in Europe
Quebecers have reason to cheer prospect of a linguistic resurgence
Is French poised to make a comeback in the international sphere?
On Friday, European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker delivered a speech at the annual State of the Union conference in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. The theme of the gathering was Building a People’s Europe. As tensions surrounding Brexit negotiations and Sunday’s French presidential election swirled, Juncker said he had hesitated over which language to use for his remarks, but in the end, he opted for French.
“Slowly but surely, English is losing importance in Europe and ... I would like to understand what I am saying about Europe and about nations,” he said in English before switching languages. His statement, which sounded like both a shot at Britain and a warning to French voters that their international linguistic prestige would be better assured by supporting Emmanuel Macron — as indeed they did Sunday — than the anti-EU Marine Le Pen, elicited applause and laughter from the diplomats in the audience.
No doubt Juncker’s move also elicited cheers here in Quebec, where many have lamented the decline of French as the international language of diplomacy, and where political leaders are frequently criticized for speaking English while conducting business overseas.
One recent controversy took place in 2014 when, in Iceland to attend the Arctic Circle assembly, Premier Philippe Couillard addressed his international audience in English. He was later criticized by Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault, who said it was the duty of every Quebec politician to promote French in their official functions and that he had “failed to live up to his responsibilities as a representative of the Quebec nation.”
The premier, who had been pitching the Plan Nord development project, argued that there was no simultaneous translation available at the time, that on matters of economic development it’s more important to be sure that people understand what you’re saying, and that — anyway — everyone knew French is spoken in Quebec. (During a subsequent visit to Iceland, in 2016, Couillard did speak in French.)
Couillard also faced heat from opposition leaders last summer when, during a visit to Germany, he signed a VIP visitor’s book at the Siemens corporation in English. (His message read: Technology used wisely will free us and improve our quality of life.) In response to criticism at home, he said that his decision to sign in English was an “automatic” reflex, and upon reflection he should have written in French.
Will that impulse to communicate in English be less “automatic” for Quebec politicians and economic leaders visiting Europe in the coming years?
As Britain begins its gradual and painful unravelling from the EU, it’s fair to expect that English will lose influence in the economic and cultural bloc. And while it’s unlikely that French will roar back to its previous global status, it may well gain a renewed currency in the EU, and beyond.
In fact, despite many doomsday forecasts in Quebec about the disappearance of French, a recent study conducted by Dubai-based researcher Kai Chan found that French is the third most powerful and influential language in the world, and the most popular second language globally after English. (English comes out on top as the world’s most powerful language. Mandarin ranks second.)
Prior to the United Kingdom joining in 1973, French was the main language of business in what was then the European Community. The further entrenchment of English as the lingua franca gained momentum with the eastward expansion of the EU in 2004.
The international standing of French was due largely to the role that France has played in Europe and in the world. As this role diminished, so did the international standing of French.
It may be too soon to speculate on how language politics will play out in the EU. However, it’s safe to say that a renewed focus on French as an international language will be roundly fêted here in Quebec.