Germany to Make English the Second Official Language

English should become the second official language in German administrative institutions according to one of the country's ruling parties. The cumbersome German language scares away much-needed skilled workers from abroad too much.

Context. The three-party government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in which the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) is the junior coalition partner, presented its version of the green card last fall. It is called the Chancenkarte or "opportunity map" and is designed to address the acute shortage of skilled labor.

Quote. "Qualified workers who want to come to Germany should be able to successfully apply for our new Chancenkarte system based on points from abroad, even if they don't speak German fluently yet," Johannes Vogel of the FDP told the Guardian. 

Details. Vogel, a member of the Bundestag Committee on Labor and Social Affairs, said that the new green card system should work in such a way that applicants can qualify even if they do not speak German.

Quote. "And the offices where they have to register, once these workers are here, should be able to offer them application forms in English and social workers who speak English fluently," he added.

"Germany needs to compete better for global talent. Our economic future depends on it," Vogel said. — We have a competitive advantage, because German, alas, is not a global language. At least we have to compensate for that."

Reaction. The FDP's call has already been supported by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, whose president Peter Adrian recently told the newspaper Münchner Merkur: "English is the world language, and it should be enough to achieve great success in many German enterprises." 

However, Ulrich Stock, a DBB representative from the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, warned that adding a second official language would create a "bureaucratic monster" and involve legal risks.

Also read: 
A Serious Shortage of Employees in Germany
Germany Wants to Attract More Foreigners
The Administration of Berlin Wants to Speed Up the Process of Obtaining German Citizenship

Source: The Guardian
Photo by Maheshkumar Painam on Unsplash

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