English required for waiters, not for Spain's prime minister
Waiters in Spain must prove their English, but politicians are forgiven. The debate over the prime minister's language skills reveals a double standard.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
English for waiters, not for presidents: the double standard
Should Spain's prime minister speak fluent English? The question, raised at an economic forum, has exposed a contradiction made in Spain: a B2 certificate is demanded from the waiter serving a beer, but the occupant of the Moncloa palace is excused from foreign languages with weighty historical arguments.
The historical argument: Churchill didn't speak it
Some argue that multilingualism is irrelevant in a world leader. Churchill spoke neither German nor French; neither did Hitler. Among US presidents, none was a native bilingual apart from late exceptions. Pilingui is a polyglot, but always uses an interpreter. The conclusion of this school of thought: English is useful for a "colonial governor", not for a sovereign head of state. Or, put another way, it is a tool of submission rather than power.
Selective demands: waiters vs. politicians
While waiters are asked for a level of English they rarely use, members of the Congress of Deputies, senators and ministers "command no foreign language, with a few honourable exceptions", as noted in the debate. The contrast is stark: those with the time and money to learn don't, while someone earning 1,200 euros must certify a language they will never use at the bar. The joke writes itself.
The anti-Anglo stance
A third view, more visceral, rejects English as "the language of the Anglo empire, Spain's enemy". Here the question is no longer practical but one of identity: let them speak Spanish. A position that, though a minority one, taps into national pride and cultural resistance.
The final irony
In the end, the debate boils down to a quote from Felipe González that has become flesh in Spanish politics: "What matters is not the truth, what matters is what Spaniards believe to be the truth." With that level of accountability, it makes no difference whether the prime minister mangles English or not. What matters is the narrative. And the narrative, as everyone knows, needs no interpreter.
Should Spain's prime minister speak fluent English? The question, raised at an economic forum, has exposed a contradiction made in Spain: a B2 certificate is demanded from the waiter serving a beer, but the occupant of the Moncloa palace is excused from foreign languages with weighty historical arguments.
The historical argument: Churchill didn't speak it
Some argue that multilingualism is irrelevant in a world leader. Churchill spoke neither German nor French; neither did Hitler. Among US presidents, none was a native bilingual apart from late exceptions. Pilingui is a polyglot, but always uses an interpreter. The conclusion of this school of thought: English is useful for a "colonial governor", not for a sovereign head of state. Or, put another way, it is a tool of submission rather than power.
Selective demands: waiters vs. politicians
While waiters are asked for a level of English they rarely use, members of the Congress of Deputies, senators and ministers "command no foreign language, with a few honourable exceptions", as noted in the debate. The contrast is stark: those with the time and money to learn don't, while someone earning 1,200 euros must certify a language they will never use at the bar. The joke writes itself.
The anti-Anglo stance
A third view, more visceral, rejects English as "the language of the Anglo empire, Spain's enemy". Here the question is no longer practical but one of identity: let them speak Spanish. A position that, though a minority one, taps into national pride and cultural resistance.
The final irony
In the end, the debate boils down to a quote from Felipe González that has become flesh in Spanish politics: "What matters is not the truth, what matters is what Spaniards believe to be the truth." With that level of accountability, it makes no difference whether the prime minister mangles English or not. What matters is the narrative. And the narrative, as everyone knows, needs no interpreter.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (28 replies).
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