Linguistic Diversity and European Democracy

'European democracy is based on multiple networks and has to find transitional processes between unity and fragmentation. This duality is a powerful tool for social manipulation. This book convincingly highlights the foundations of linguistic diversity and European democracy in a surprising multiplicity of perspectives and settings.' Anne Wagner, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, France 'In the EU, linguistic diversity often is the "elephant in the room": everyone is aware of it but no one dares to talk about it. In academia, the role of language(s) in the integration process has long been an important yet under-researched area. This volume is an excellent way of addressing this gap in the literature.' Thomas Christiansen, Maastricht University, The Netherlands 'Linguistic diversity is a symbol of European democracy, but it also complicates political dialogue and the exchange of ideas. This tension is studied in this book where leading jurists and linguists examine, fruitfully and thoroughly, the relationship between language rights and communication needs in Europe, notably within the EU.' Heikki E.S. Mattila, University of Lapland, Finland