Excessive deficit countries will lose right to official language

Less languages on the European websites soon?

A new Commission proposal is designed to avoid the absurdity of adding to a country’s financial difficulties by fining them. As Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn put it at the press conference “I learnt playing football that you must never kick a man when he’s down.” Instead the EU executive recommends penalising countries with persistent deficits by removing their right to have EU business conducted in their language.

Civil service unions are discussing strike action over the implicit threat to interpreting and translation jobs. Meanwhile, Belgian and Austrian officials are trying to play down the potential significance of this move for their countries.