Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Frattini upset over Italian language slip-up

  • EC vice-president Frattini is defending the Italian language, as his home country fights for more EU influence (Photo: European Commission)

Italian EU commissioner Franco Frattini has in an unusual step criticized his own institution for not translating a website promoting the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in Italian.

"I cannot suppress my bitterness and dissatisfaction over this decision that hits the Italian language", Mr Frattini said in a statement circulated among journalists.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The statement adds that "the commission cannot and must not ignore certain aspects of its past and presence which are crucial for our collective memory".

The commissioner, himself an Italian, was referring to the fact tthat the Rome Treaty was signed in Italy. He also argued that the Italian-speaking community is one of the largest within the 27-nation bloc.

On the website of the commission's External Relations directorate-general, an explanatory text on the March anniversary celebrations is available in the three working languages of the EU - French, English and German - as well as Spanish, but not available in Italian.

"I ask this grave deficit to be urgently repaired", he concluded in the statement.

Misunderstanding

The European Commission for its part called the incident "a misunderstanding" and pointed to the fact that the responsibility for the website lies with the External Relations directorate.

"There are no fixed rules for a DG [directorate-general] when it comes to languages", a commission spokesperson said.

He added that "all official websites" related to the EU's 50th birthday and launched by the Directorate General for Communication - officially responsible for the matter - are carried out in all 23 official languages, "including Italian".

But Mr Frattini's complaint is yet another proof how languages are becoming a touchy issue within the bloc.

Last year Germany raised concerns over the declining importance of its language, with Bundestag president Norbert Lammert writing a letter to European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso to say that the German parliament would refuse to debate EU documents that were not printed in German.

In addition, in a joint statement with the French national assembly, German MPs denounced the "unacceptable drift toward a monolingual system" dominated by English.

Italy's influence at stake

But the language issue seems to be a more delicate one for Italy, amid concerns by Italian political circles that Rome is slowly losing its influence in the EU.

Lately Emma Bonino, an Italian minister for European affairs, criticised the fact that her country is under-represented in the European Commission structures, with only a few Italians in top jobs.

But Antonio Missiroli, chief analyst at the European Policy Centre, characterised commissioner Frattini's move as "balanced in defending his country's interests, as he recently fired back at Rome, saying it must do its homework when it comes to training its nominees for EU high positions".

Mr Missiroli added that Ireland or Nordic states are generally "better organized in promoting their candidates and lobbying."

"Italy cannot rely on its size and prime-minister Romano Prodi's good EU credentials".

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. "Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us