Perhaps the most arresting aspect of the European Union, and the reason most often cited for its imminent demise, is the cacophony of languages involved. The EEC alone, enfolding 15 members at this writing, and the core of the European Union, encompasses over 40 indigenous languages. Throw in ten more states in the process of joining, those affiliated by other treaties, and former Warsaw Pact nations voicing intent to join, and the linguistic ramifications become truly mind-blowing.
The challenge is to unite competing cultures without fanning fatal jealousies. Many European nations historically believe themselves destined to impose their culture on other peoples. These countries now find themselves crowded together in a single house. Not only must they curb their reflex to dominate, they must allow traditional competitors free access to their territory and citizens. Perhaps critics can be forgiven for doubting that England and France, or Greece and Turkey, would ever assent to this. Yet assent they have, and the result is a fascinating study in street-level language issues.
The EU's guiding principle is mosaic theory, another page taken from Canada. According to this model, participating cultures must change just enough to fit together, while maintaining their unique character, like tiles in a mosaic. Any attempt to advance one of the Union's eleven business languages over another is therefore officially discouraged. In reality, the current ascendancy of English in international business means non-English speakers must remain constantly vigilant. France is the most consistent critic of the tendency to fall back on English in Union business. However, legal and political procedures regularly take place in languages other than English. Even when such procedures take place in several languages, it's not unusual for English to be absent from the list.
