Luxembourgish language discussion gets attention beyond borders

(vb/sth) – As the discussion about the Luxembourgish language gains traction, news organisations in neighbouring states are staring to notice. German news channel ARD is asking: What's causing this unease in the EU's richest member state? Luxemburger Wort chief editor Jean-Lou Siweck also has his say.

The report, available at Deutschlandfunk and tagesschau.de, tries to get a glimpse of Luxembourg's worries about its own identity.

The now famous petition 698, asking for Luxembourgish to become the first official language of Luxembourg, is at the origin of the discussion and the article. Its big success, collecting close to 15.000 signatures, will give the author Lucien Welter the possibility to present his wish in Parliament of giving a higher importance to Luxembourgish than to German and French.

Fernand Fehlen, a language sociologist, is quoted speaking about the structural changes in Luxembourg's society in the past 20 years, which has been moving from a small rural society to a cosmopolitan one. This of course brings with it challenges, because some areas like housing can't keep up with the fast growing economy. Concerning the language situation however, there are usually no communication problems because of the multilingualism of Luxembourgers. The discussion thus seems to be an indication of other problems.

Wort's chief editor Jean-Lou Siweck is quoted, mentioning the fact that the country's success attracts many people, putting the nationals at only a very slight majority in their own country. In its capital, foreign residents also represent 70% of the population. This inevitably brings up the question about the future of the country and in which direction it wants to steer. Will it remain a country of mainly Luxembourgers with immigrants that come for short or longer periods and whose children will integrate? Integrate in a sense that they will become Luxembourgers themselves? Or will frontiers blur at some point and the country becomes a “multicultural melting pot”?

Returning to the petition, which among other things asks for legislation to be translated from French into Luxembourgish, such a demand is being seen as difficult, as experts believe the language might not be concise enough for this. Therefore it remains to be seen, if this discussion will blow over soon, or develop into a storm.