'LUNACY!’ German politician LASHES OUT at English speakers
GETTY A leading politician has condemned the increasing dependence on the English language in Germany
In an impassioned outburst during an interview with Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Jens Spahn - the man tipped to succeed Angela Merkel at the upcoming election - expressed anger towards foreigners working in Germany who refuse to speak the language. Directing most of his outburst towards wait staff, he said said hearing restaurant workers in Berlin speaking only in English “drives me up the wall”. The 37-year-old Junior Finance Minister went on to call for a crackdown, saying: “Co-existence can only work in Germany if we all speak German. “We can and should expect this from every immigrant.”
Berlin’s most fashionable districts have attracted large numbers of American expatriates, and with restaurants and bars in the city recruiting staff from across Europe, most daily specials are advertised in English only, and it is not uncommon for waiters to speak basic German only. When comparing the often relaxed attitude by Germans to that of the fiercely patriotic and protective French, Mr Spahn added: “You would never find this kind of lunacy in Paris.” Under Angela Merkel’s government, it has become compulsory for asylum seekers who have arrived in the country since 2015 to learn German. Those who fail to do so risk losing their benefits or having their applications for permanent residency rejected. However, the same rules do not apply to those who have entered Germany to work under the EU’s freedom of movement rules.
GETTY Restaurant workers in Berlin generally speak in English
While Germans may not always agree on what constitutes part of their culture, the issue of unity in language has been met with much support. Mr Spahn said: “This is the need to have a home, to feel at home. “People want to be able to know what they can expect in every day life and that things aren’t changing all the time. “Not every cultural difference is an enrichment. “I have to accept the growing number of headscarfs on our streets, but I do not feel enriched by it.”
GETTY Jens Spahn has been tipped to succeed Angela Merkel at the upcoming election
Speaking English is seen in many parts of the world as an important life skill, with German children learning the language in their nursery years. While English is widely spoken across Germany, its common use over German has become a heated debate topic over recent months, with its decline becoming a political issue amid perceived threats from immigration and globalisation. This fear has led to campaigns emerging over the last decade, with several groups arguing against the rising popularity of “Denglish” - a hybrid of Deutsche and English - across German advertising, television and even everyday conversation.