The European Council denounces that the United Kingdom is not promoting minority languages.
- Despite having signed the European Charter of Minority Languages, the United Kingdom has failed to fulfil its treaty obligations. The victims are Cornish, Irish Gaelic and Ulster's Scottish, according to a report published by the Council of Europe.
According to a report drawn up by the European Council, the United Kingdom does not protect minority languages spoken in the territories under its control, "either in schools, in the media, in public life, or in the institutions". The United Kingdom Government thus renounces the signing of the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages in favour of the promotion of minority languages.
The Council report speaks in particular of the defeat suffered by the Northern Ireland and United Kingdom Executive to resolve the conflict between Unionists and Republicans on the status of the Irish Gaelic, which should be promoted through the Good Friday peace agreement. Debates on the situation of Gaelic in Northern Ireland in 2017 played a major role in the division of the Executive that shared power in Stormont. The European Council considered the implementation in Stormont of a law on this language to free Irish Gaelic from political tensions.
The Council has strongly criticised the United Kingdom Government for the “imposition” it has expressed on Cornwall, the language related to Breton. Although the last traditional speaker died at the end of the 19th century, in the 20th century he managed somehow to revive the Cornish. However, today there are about 3,000 people who can speak without difficulty about coronavirus. The European Council has therefore called for the transfer of funding and responsibility for the promotion of language to Kornualles. The study and promotion of Cornubi's public life "must be a priority", they added in the report.
The report adds that the Scottish language spoken in the lowlands of Scotland is not being taught, learned and promoted as it deserves. They also stressed that Gaelic "still needs more funding and more programming".
The report highlights the "brutal" resurrection of Manx's Gaelic on the island of Man and recommends increased use of Galesa in hospitals and care centers, vocational training and government.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the British Government has stated that it has already given Cornish speakers the same "level of protection" as Scottish Gaelic, Irish and Welsh. A spokesman for the Scottish Government has ensured that "recommendations were to be taken into account" in response to the call of the Council of Ministers for further initiatives to promote Gaelic. The demonstrators have spoken to the Government of Northern Ireland to seek a response to the armed conflict.
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