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From: alan@idec.stc.co.uk (Alan Spreadbury)
Newsgroups: sci.lang
Subject: Multi-lingual countries
Message-ID: <743@argon.idec.stc.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 7-Nov-86 08:08:56 EST
Article-I.D.: argon.743
Posted: Fri Nov  7 08:08:56 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Nov-86 03:03:32 EST
Organization: STC Technology Ltd., Stevenage, U.K.
Lines: 14

Around the end of October, we were told on the news that Belgium was
on the brink of civil war (all right, that's a slight exaggeration)
because the French-speaking mayor of a French-speaking commune in
a Flemish-speaking province was refusing to comply with a requirement
that he attain a certain proficiency in speaking Flemish.  The matter
was apparently complicated by the fact that the court investigating
the dispute conducted its business in Flemish, while the mayor would
only address it in French.

What happened?  Does this sort of thing happen in other multi-lingual
countries?  Is this the reason for Proposition whatever-it-was in
California (making English the only official language)?

Alan Spreadbury.