THREE QUESTIONS FOR LEONARD ORBAN, COMMISSIONER FOR MULTILINGUALISM : LANGUAGE A "FUNDAMENTALLY DEMOCRATIC ISSUE".

• Position: Interview - Brief article

Isn't multilingualism something of a minor portfolio?

No. It's a portfolio with a very important political dimension. Linguistic diversity is a very sensitive issue for the member states. The dossier also ties in with a great many other key Union policies such as education, competitiveness, culture and the mobility of people.

Do we need this diversity? Couldn't we do without some languages that appear to hold back the decision-making process?

We absolutely need this diversity. It is our great difference with the United States. Europe doesn't have a single language, but many languages. This reflects different cultures and ways of life. Language is first and foremost and above all an absolutely and fundamentally democratic issue. It is a means of communicating with citizens, but also the means for citizens to communicate with European institutions and understand decisions. There are...