We don’t joke with linguistic usage in Belgium. A train conductor learned this the hard way. He is the subject of a complaint for having simply greeted passengers in French during a trip to Flanders. An odd situation which took an unexpected political turn.
On October 7, on a train between Mechelen and Brussels, Ilyass Alba addressed travelers with a bilingual “goeiemorgen/hello”. A Dutch-speaking passenger protests: “We’re not in Brussels yet, you just have to use Dutch!” » This reprimand turned into an official complaint filed with the Permanent Linguistic Control Commission (CPCL), a body responsible for ensuring compliance with linguistic rules in Belgium.
A disproportionate reaction?
The revelation of this incident sparked strong reactions, even in Parliament. The Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet, defended the controller, denouncing outdated rules. “Using several languages to say hello is no problem. This shows that the guides put themselves at the service of all travelers, whether they are Flemish, Walloon or foreign,” he said.
He also criticized the priorities of Flemish officials: “Some seem more concerned with this debate than with the formation of the next government.”
Belgian language legislation requires controllers to use exclusively the language of the region where the train runs, except in Brussels or in so-called “facilitated” municipalities, where bilingualism is authorized.
“Just a courtesy”
For its part, the SNCB (the equivalent of the SNCF in Belgium) calls for a more flexible application of these rules. “Saying hello in several languages is just a sign of politeness. Travelers appreciate this,” said a company spokesperson.
The CPCL, which examines the complaint, has six months to issue an opinion, which will be purely advisory.
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