The Dutch Council of Ministers has decided to establish the Dutch language in the Constitution. More and more languages are being spoken in the Netherlands. English, in particular, is gaining ground. It is imperative to ensure that the Dutch language does not come under pressure. The Council of Ministers wants to change the Constitution to guarantee that people in the Netherlands will always be able to use the Dutch language in the Netherlands.
The cabinet wants to enshrine in the Constitution that Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands and that the government will promote the use of the language. There will also be a clause on Frisian (Fries), the language spoken in Friesland (North-West of the country).
Controversial
The bill, which can most likely count on a majority in the Second Chamber, is controversial in some circles. Constitutional experts, in particular, talk of "symbolic legislation" and consider its practical significance minimal. They point to the fact that there is no such constitutional clause in scores of countries, like the United States and Germany. On the contrary though, France, Italy and, of course, Belgium do have one.
[Illustration: Text of the Constitution on a wall in The Hague by Jan Kooi]
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