Interesting report in today’s Western mail highlights Eluned Morgan opposing the Plaid bid to get Welsh recognised as the 24th official language of the EU. Why the Labour MEP would wish to do this is quite frankly beyond me.
Is Eluned Morgan really of the idea that because it costs a bit we should bother? Gaelic has officially recognised language status and yet Labour does not wish to see Welsh promoted in the same way.
As far as I can understand the £500,000 proposed to make Welsh an official language at the EU will not be used to encourage grassroots participation so her point about better use of the money really doesn’t make sense? Even if it was then I think making the Welsh language an official one at the EU will go a long way to help promote its use.
The One Wales Government, in which Eluned Morgan’s party has signed up to states that it will “drive forward our efforts to obtain agreement on the use of the Welsh language in specified areas of EU business. We will use this experience to explore with the Westminster government the making of an official application to the Council of Ministers for the Welsh language to receive official EU language and working language status.” Talk about turning your back on your colleagues.
Whilst all this is ongoing Huw Lewis is apparently learning Welsh. What is happening with the world!
4 comments:
For Welsh to be a full EU language (not just used in Parliament which is what i think Eluned's £500,000 refers to) it would actually be nearer 3.5m euros a year. At least, that's what it costs for Irish.
where do you have those figures from anon?
Personally I am not opposed to spending money on the language. I think the welsh language and its cultural impact can be used as a marketting tool to bring money into our economy. However, either way I feel welsh should have equal status in the EU
Bradwr! (Or should that be Bradwraig?)
She's obviously after a Westminster seat and getting some practice in.
Quite right, Anon, Westminster beckons, or so she hopes.
But why is it that the first person to protest about these modest moves, and about Jill Evans's appeal, is a Welsh speaking Labour MEP? More self interest I suppose.
Eluned Morgan was banging on and on during the radio phone-in about 'grass roots'. Fine, spend money there, but it's also right to spend money on ensuring that existing Welsh speakers can have more opportunities to use the language.
The battle for the Welsh language has been long and hard enough, without having to deal with the enemy within in the shape of a Labour MEP.
At least we can rely on Jill Evans to further the cause.
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