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This is a non-story. There are three working languages of the EU: English, French and German. Everyone in Brussels will roll their eyes, use French for six months and then revert to English because it’s the one most people speak.

Would they have done this if Brexit hadn’t happened? Yes, they would. France has a chip on its shoulder about French being replaced as the world’s lingua franca, but stunts like this aren’t going to bring it back. Not even in Brussels.




Indeed, it's mostly a non issue. There are so many translators working for EU institutions, that I don't see how it would change much.


English is the new Lingua Franca. ;-)


Yes this is political trolling, and should France get it way Hungary will counter troll and insist we adopt their language for 6 months next time around.


Hungarian is not a working language.


> Not even in Brussels.

Most people in Brussels already speak French... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francization_of_Brussels


Brussels being an phrase often used to mean EU governmental officials and diplomats.


Most of them live in Brussels and speak at least casual French.


I am quite sure they do. But the point was that those EU institutions will revert to using English as their main working language as they have been before the French turn at presidency of the EU begins.


You can live in Brussels just fine without speaking French


Yep, but this is more of an exception, still.




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