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Mitterrand, Let us stress the importance of multilingualism
Page 5
To strengthen our approach, let us rediscover those places and objects which represent our common past. I should like to see the devising and implementation of a vast project to develop the sites of our European heritage. At the same time, let us teach about Europe. Let us educate our children on the subject. Let our schools prepare them for citizenship. Let them develop the teaching of history, geography and culture. Let us encourage the twinning of schools and universities, exchanges of schoolchildren and students. Let us stress the importance of multilingualism. To this end, France will be submitting a draft intergovernmental convention on the teaching of at least two foreign languages. At the same time, let us step up our efforts to promote the translation of written works. I have long observed that the French, my fellow countrymen, frequently complain that their great authors are seldom translated in, for example, some of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. And I have also observed that in fact, we, the French, do not translate their works either; we complain of a fault of which we ourselves are guilty - because the Europe of cultures is the whole of Europe.
(Applause)
. . . Before ending, I should like to say a word about the Union's institutions. One of the tasks of the French presidency will be to attend to the drawing-up of the Council's report on the implementation of the Treaty on European Union. Subsequently, the representatives of the Member States will begin meeting, from next June onwards, to prepare for the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference. I do not wish to pre-empt a meeting of such importance, but since I shall then no longer be a direct participant, I would like to put two simple ideas to the House.
The first is that I feel there is a need to guard against rushing ahead. The potential of the Treaty on European Union is considerable. It is reasonably well balanced. We must proceed with the development of the Union, improve its functioning in order to make possible future enlargements, add to it in order to further strengthen its democratic legitimacy - and I would stress this point - in the decision-making process. Let us take Europe forward in order to take democracy forward. This maxim is as powerful as the one which states that, without democracy, there will be no Europe.
(Applause)
Cf. Proudhon, Principe Fédératif * Le mémorandum d'Alexis Leger * The Briand Memorandum * Kalergi, European Spirit must Precede Europe's Political Unification * La Construction de l'Europe selon Jean Monnet * Plan Fouchet * L'Union Européenne selon Altiero Spinelli * Mitterrand and Kohl urge European Political Union * Il Manifesto di Ventotene
