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Better still would be if English was adopted as the only administrative language, don't you think? The Brits switch to metric and the French start to communicate in English with foreigners

Well, I certainly wouldn't object to English being the single administrative language throughout Europe! But, even though I might be slightly biased, I will try to look at it objectively.

I don't think I've ever met anyone from the Netherlands northward who doesn't speak at least a little English, and most Scandinavians seem to be fluent. English is widely understood throughout the rest of Europe, although not always to the same degree as in the north. It's a little harder to find English-speakers in rural France, for example. But, perhaps with the exception of those areas bordering Germany, Italy, etc., English is still the de-facto second language there. Of course, the Academie Francaise probably wouldn't like the idea too much! [Linked Image]

(By the way, how come French stop signs actually say "STOP" and not "ARRET" ???)

If every EU country would allow all official transactions to take place in either English or their own native language(s), that would certainly remove a large barrier to free trade and movement of people, would it not? And that's what the whole thing is supposed to be about.

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The Swiss have this nice idea of referendums. Instead of telling people what to do, the politicans ask people what to do.
{OK, soapbox for me now}
This is as it should be. Compare that with the Gibraltar fiasco, where the local governor called a referendum and the vote went 98% in favor of remaining British territory. Yet our present government said that a deal to share sovereignty has already been arranged and that they don't intend to take any notice of the vote. How's that for sheer arrogance? [Linked Image]