Rethinking the European language policies: from linguistic colonisation to linguistic federalism

Abstract

When looking at the language policies implemented by member states and trends in educational systems, in the media and, more generally in the actual globalisation of communication, it is clear how great the gap between European Union wishful thinking and the true reality is, at the point that even European Union decisions in the field or the Recommendations of International Organisations, such as UNESCO, are at risk of being nothing more than a sort of “book of dreams”.