Plouguerneau: the Breton Party vetoes translating the town's place names into French
The Breton Party vetoes translating the place names of the town of Plouguerneau into French. The mayor, André Lesven, decided to replace the town's Breton place names by "rue des Embruns" (sea spray street) or "rue des perroquets"(parrots' street). He gives as a pretext that it will make the Post office job's easier, but such an argument is worthless: the town council could also give numbers to the houses and keep the Breton place names...
This decision is contemptful of all the generations who have given birth and who still constitute the identity of the area of Plouguerneau. The Breton language is alive and kicking, and every year, Strollad Ar Vro Bagan, amongst others, attracts thousands of people to its Breton-language or bilingual shows. This project is a nonsense, in cultural and heritage terms, as well as for the economy, in an largely touristic coastal area. Other European nations, such as Catalony, the Basque Country or Wales, have understood that by preserving their identity they could at the same time promote employment and economic development. The town council of Plouguerneau should, instead, be one of the first to sign the charter "Ya d'ar brezhoneg", launched by the Breton language office.
This project also questions political coherence. Sir André Lesven is the Modem's department president. Such a decision binds de facto the Finistere federation of the Modem, and jeopardises the credit that the Breton people may have towards this young party, which claims it is in favour of so-called "regional" languages. "The regional languages are endangered. For some, it is only a question of a few years. Laws must impose, not only the respect for these languages, but also their defence: respect is not enough any more! We need to found an affirmative policy" declared François Bayrou to the electors of the Modem. In the case of Plouguerneau, we are very far from minimum respect, and rather in a process of systematic destruction of the Breton language. And it questions...
The Breton Party brings his full support to the « Gardiens de mémoire » and calls the citizens to mobilise for the defence of the place names of Plouguerneau.
For the Finistere federation of the Breton Party
the secretary,
Michel Landivinnec
Gardiens de Mémoire petition (voir le site)
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