High-time for this CNE bi-lingual platform

The Conseil National pour Etrangers (CNE), an organisation representing Luxembourg's international community and supporting foreigner rights, could see a shift in its official language of communication, making it a bilingual French-English platform. The CNE's remit is to advise the Luxembourgish government on the impact of proposed legislation on the foreign population, and to respond to specific governmental issues of concern. Paul-Michael Schonenberg, who has served as president since 2012, said the organisation -- which at present conducts business in French -- could expand its language of communication to include English. Around 45% of Luxembourg's residents are foreigners, and Schonenberg argues that English, the second language for many in the international community, should carry more weight within the CNE. "The CNE helps people who have moved here, and it's important for the CNE to be a group that includes all the socio-economic levels of society," he said. The organisation is set to elect a new president, as Schonenberg's five-year term will expire at the end of June. For the next president, Schonenberg said it would be "wise" to change the rules to make the CNE's communication language both English and French. He added: "One of the issues under discussion and that is of concern to some people is 'do we have an inclusive CNE when the language of communication is French?'." The election is to take place on July 16. Details of how to apply are still being worked out, but anyone who is a Luxembourg resident will be able to run for office. One of the recent pieces of legislation on which the CNE was consulted was the change in law concerning the gaining of Luxembourgish nationality, which it supported. The government did not, however, consult the organisation on the referendum held in 2015 on whether foreign nationals living in Luxembourg should be given the right to vote. "We would have put suggestions together had we been asked about it," Schonenberg said. "The foreign community didn't have an opportunity to vote on the subject, and we were not asked to participate in the discussions. "But how can you ask people who don't have a vote to say something about an issue they can't vote on?" Last year, MP Serge Wilmes suggested the CNE suffered from "internal communication problems". Responding to a parliamentary question as to why no annual report had been published for the organisation, he said disagreements had "hindered its smooth running". source: Wort.lu