French Constitution amendment proposed to protect regional languages

Peio Dufau, a deputy for EH Baiko, has presented a proposal in the French National Assembly to amend Article 2 of the French Constitution. The initiative, co-presented with Paul Molac, aims to provide legal security for regional languages such as Basque.

Currently, the Constitution establishes French as the language of the Republic. While regional languages are mentioned, they are not granted the same legal status, which creates obstacles for local administration. Dufau noted that local decisions, such as the use of Basque in town halls or street names, face challenges from prefects and the Constitutional Council due to this lack of constitutional standing.

The goal of the amendment is to ensure that regional languages can be used alongside French without legal repercussions, providing a foundation for their official use in local governance and education.