Enough time has passed since Brexit to start drawing some preliminary conclusions on whether the Brits' departure has shaken the use of the English language in the European Union.
The mantra of Brexit was “take back control”. Still, the UK has arguably relinquished its grip on its most precious contribution to European culture: the English language.
We need to understand why English has been the lingua franca of Eurocrats for several decades, even if multilingualism remains the official policy of the Union.
When Britain joined what is now the EU in 1973, English became the dominant in-house language of the European Commission, largely displacing French. But this was just one enabler for the dominance of the English language in official communication in Europe.
Other factors have contributed to the expansion of English in Europe and worldwide. The cultural impact of English is due to it being the language of the US, Hollywood, NATO, the UN, international finance, several countries, and many international organisations.
Whatever arguments European political leaders propose to substitute English with more multilinguistic inputs in official communication, the learning of English is the preferred option of many individuals, especially younger people, in Europe.
Of course, there has been speculation about whether English will remain the dominant language in EU institutions after Brexit. Not surprisingly, French President Emmanuel Macron and the former president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, want French to regain its former dominant role.
Some linguists argue that the use of French may experience a revival in EU communications.
Presently, nearly all new policy statements and texts that ultimately have the force of law are drafted initially in English. The fact that both Ireland and Malta have English as one of their official languages makes the downgrading of the English language very unlikely. One also needs to remember that many are proficient in using the English language in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden and prefer to use English when communicating in international fora.
Even for the casual linguistic observer, just watching the news on TV channels is enough to decide whether English is being given less importance by European personalities when being interviewed. EU staff can, in principle, use any of the 23 official languages of the Union when making public comments. Still, I have noticed that many still prefer to make statements in English.
Ursula von der Leyen, in her inaugural speech on becoming president of the Commission in 2019, delivered her statement mainly in English, with brief token use of French and German. She is probably one of the most competent political leaders in the EU to communicate well in various languages.
The cultural impact of English is due to it being the language of the US, Hollywood, NATO, the UN, international finance, several countries, and many international organisations
Some of her colleagues in the Commission are hesitant and unconvincing when they opt to use English. The same applies to the political leaders who are members of the European Council.
Charles Michel, the European Council president, reads prepared statements fluently in English but with a strong French accent. However, one could speculate that when speaking in a negotiating context, he would prefer to communicate in French as he undoubtedly has a better command of that language.
Many Eurocrats and politicians who move in the corridors of power in EU institutions would prefer to communicate in their native language since they would sound more compelling and convincing by doing so. But they know that English in communication has become almost unavoidable to reach a wider audience.
The German-Danish linguist Hartmut Haberland argues that in such contexts, there is in effect no choice. “You are damned if you speak English, and you are damned if you don’t. This is the true triumph of English language imperialism: leaving everybody with no alternative.”
Romano Prodi, who was president of the European Commission, was a great believer in the importance of European integration. When interviewed by Newsweek in 2004, he admitted that English would be the universal language in a unified Europe. He added: “It will be broken English, but it will be English”.
Broken English is a derogatory term for using a language that does not conform to correct native speaker use. Of course, this does not mean that the rules of Standard English in punctuation, spelling, grammar and some vocabulary should be ignored.
While the English used in the EU institutions may occasionally sound different from British English, the Commission’s style guide is clear. It is not Euro-English, it is not American English, it is “standard usage of Britain and Ireland” – referred to as “British usage” or “British English”.