Articles in Eurolang

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Brief summary of the articles published in Eurolang.
http://www.eurolang.net

WARM WORDS ON DIVERSITY FROM MR PRODI BUT NO PROVISION OR RIGHTS FOR THE USE
OF MINORITISED LANGUAGES AT THE EUROPEAN LEVEL
Bruxelles/ Brussel 3/19/2004 by Davyth A. Hicks

Commission President Romano Prodi and the 10 Commissioners-designate
launched a first wave of websites on the European Union in the languages of
the new Member States yesterday. However, despite Mr Prodi emphasising a
respect for diversity and that “the ability for EU citizens to interact with
the European Institutions in their language is a fundamental prerequisite of
a democratic Europe,” there is no provision for Europe’s non member-state
languages at an official level, no matter how widely spoken.


AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTS CRITICISE ROMANIA
Kolozsvár / Cluj 3/19/2004 by Áron Balló

Two recent reports from the United States discuss minority language rights
in Romania. In the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation's (HHRF, an NGO based
in New York City) report entitled ‘Six Human Rights Violations against the
1.5 Million Hungarians of Romania’ issued in February, three out of six
problems were connected with language rights. The US State Department Bureau
of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour is also critical in its Country Report
on Human Rights Practices in Romania for 2003.


“MINORITY MARATHON” TO BE HELD IN THE GERMAN CITY OF FLENSBURG
Copenhagen 3/17/2004 by Brigitte Alfter

“We asked ourselves, what is so special about this region. It is, of course,
a region to show off because of the peaceful co-existence of the minorities
and the majorities,” says Ulrich Scholl, leader of the organisation
committee of the newly established sports event, European Minority Marathon
in Germany’s northernmost city of Flensburg.


ERC LEADER URGES “SECOND TRANSITION IN SPAIN WHICH RECOGNISES THE NATIONAL,
CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSTIY OF THE SPANISH STATE”
Barcelona 3/15/2004 by Alexia Bos Solé

Contrary to what the surveys had predicted, the Spanish Socialist Party
(PSOE), led by Mr. Zapatero, has won an unexpected victory. In the wake of
the Madrid attacks, voters punished Mr. Aznar’s Partido Popular (PP), and
with 98.89% of the votes counted the PSOE had won with 164 seats, 39 more
than in 2000, but without an overall majority. The PP, now in opposition,
held 148 seats - losing 35. The Catalan parties Convergencia i Unio (CiU),
and the leftist independentists, Esquerra Republicana Catalunya (ERC), won
10 and 8 seats respectively and as the third and fourth biggest parties are
expected to take part in the decision-making process in any new political
alliance. After hearing the results, ERC secretary- general, Josep-Lluís
Carod-Rovira, urged Mr. Zapatero to start a “second transition in Spain
which recognises the national, cultural and linguistic diversity of the
Spanish state.”



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