BRUSSELS — The European Union brings together 15 states with a total population of 380 million people. Thirteen other countries have applied to join. Europeans speak some 45 different languages, of which 11 are recognized as official languages for the purposes of EU business. But millions of European citizens routinely speak not only the official language of their country but also another European language: For example, 45 percent of EU citizens can hold a conversation in at least one foreign language.
The notion of choosing one of the European languages as a lingua franca for the EU is rejected because it would imply imposing one set of cultural values on everyone. In fact, the diversity of our languages is an essential part of Europe's cultural heritage and of European identity.
One's mother tongue is inseparable from one's wider cultural identity; one shared communication language is not sufficient for the needs of a multilingual union; so the EU works to preserve its linguistic diversity. Each lesser-used language is an enrichment for Europe. Under no circumstances should a dominant culture be allowed to trample over the cultural beauty and wealth, which belongs to us.