A one-dimensional diversity? European integration and the challenge of language policy
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Peter A. Kraus
Abstract
The article offers a critical assessment of the approach adopted by the European Union (EU) to dealing with linguistic diversity. On the one hand, the path to European integration has been marked from the beginning by an explicit commitment to protecting cultural and linguistic diversity. On the other hand, the credibility of this commitment suffers from the normative incoherence characterizing Europe’s actual institutional response to the challenges of multilingualism. To define rules which allow for a reflexive “processing” of diversity will not be possible without opening a proper political debate on the language issue in the context of European polity-building.
Abstract
The article offers a critical assessment of the approach adopted by the European Union (EU) to dealing with linguistic diversity. On the one hand, the path to European integration has been marked from the beginning by an explicit commitment to protecting cultural and linguistic diversity. On the other hand, the credibility of this commitment suffers from the normative incoherence characterizing Europe’s actual institutional response to the challenges of multilingualism. To define rules which allow for a reflexive “processing” of diversity will not be possible without opening a proper political debate on the language issue in the context of European polity-building.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction: Respecting linguistic diversity in the European Union 1
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Part 1. Factual and theoretical approaches
- Linguistic diversity as curse and as by-product 17
- Linguistic diversity in the European Union: An overview 47
- Principles of policy evaluation and their application to multilingualism in the European Union 73
- A one-dimensional diversity? European integration and the challenge of language policy 85
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Part 2. Protection of linguistic diversity in EU law
- Union citizenship and language rights 107
- EC law and minority language policy: Some recent developments 123
- The protection of linguistic diversity through Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights 145
- The protection of linguistic diversity through provisions of the EU Charter other than Article 22 175
- Languages that are official in part of the territory of the Member States: Second-class languages or institutional recognition in EU law? 191
- Appendix 231
- Contributors 261
- Index 265
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction: Respecting linguistic diversity in the European Union 1
-
Part 1. Factual and theoretical approaches
- Linguistic diversity as curse and as by-product 17
- Linguistic diversity in the European Union: An overview 47
- Principles of policy evaluation and their application to multilingualism in the European Union 73
- A one-dimensional diversity? European integration and the challenge of language policy 85
-
Part 2. Protection of linguistic diversity in EU law
- Union citizenship and language rights 107
- EC law and minority language policy: Some recent developments 123
- The protection of linguistic diversity through Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights 145
- The protection of linguistic diversity through provisions of the EU Charter other than Article 22 175
- Languages that are official in part of the territory of the Member States: Second-class languages or institutional recognition in EU law? 191
- Appendix 231
- Contributors 261
- Index 265
