Reception at the FUEN Office in Brussels on the Occasion of the European Day of Languages

As part of its recent meetings with representatives of EU institutions, the European Dialogue Forum (EDF) of FUEN hosted a reception at the FUEN office in Brussels on the evening of 23 September. The occasion was the European Day of Languages, which has been celebrated annually on 26 September since 2001 to honour Europe’s linguistic diversity and multilingual heritage.

Following meetings of the European Dialogue Forum with representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Committee of the Regions, the reception offered an opportunity to continue the day’s discussions in an informal setting.

The evening opened with short addresses by FUEN President Loránt Vincze, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages, by the Intergroup’s Vice-Chair Anna-Maja Henriksson, MEP, as well as by EDF Chair Jens A. Christiansen. In their welcoming remarks, they underlined the importance of the European Day of Languages and the role of minority languages for a diverse and united Europe.

A special contribution came from Liesa Scholzen, Member of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium and Co-Chair of the regional party ProDG (Pro German-speaking Community), who sent a video greeting for the reception. In it, she stressed: “Europe’s linguistic and cultural diversity is a shared value that must be protected.” At the same time, she highlighted that minority languages in particular, often tied to a specific identity, are the primary expression of cultural and political experiences. The full video greeting can be viewed below.

The guests at the reception – representatives of EU institutions and minority organisations as well as FUEN’s partners and friends – used the evening for exchange and networking. In doing so, FUEN made its presence in Brussels visible and underlined the significance of its work in the European context.