Coming apart at the seams

In the words of one journalist this week, “Belgium is coming apart at the seams”. We thought it took a long time after the Assembly elections in Wales but it’s now four months since the Belgian elections and they still haven’t been able to form a government.

No agreement can be reached between Dutch speaking Flanders and French speaking Wallonia. There are eleven political parties represented but, interestingly, there is not one “national” Belgian party. Plaid’s sister party in Flanders, Spirit, supports independence. Sooner than any of us imagined, they may just achieve their aim.

For Wales see Navarra

The proposed One Wales coalition has proved a great deal of debate in Wales. It’s interesting to see that we’re not the only ones faced with such difficult decisions.

I am working this week in the city of Pamplona, in the Navarra region of the Basque Country, addressing a European Parliament seminar on renewable energy. But here too there is intense debate about the shape of the next government of Navarra. Following elections at the end of May a coalition between Spanish Socialists and Basque Nationalists is the likely outcome. No party has a majority and a coalition government is necessary. Ring any bells?

And the parallels don’t end there.

Different traditions in all of the parties concerned have agonised about how to take the matter forward. The Basque nationalists combined have 12 seats, the Spanish Socialists also have 12, and combined with smaller coalition partners they have 26 seats – and a majority of one seat in the Navarra parliament.

For many Basque parties, a coalition with the conservatives was unimaginable. But many feel they could find a way forward with the Spanish socialists on a common policy programme.

The decision is imminent and may be announced as soon as tomorrow.

They have also followed events in Wales with great interest, for obvious reasons.

Now that the Plaid-Labour coalition discussions are well advanced and following much discussion and thought, I have decided to give the proposal my support. My first preference was to be a strong opposition with a “New Zealand style” agreement with the minority government.

But events have moved on. I believe that on the basis of the radical One Wales programme we can make a real difference to peoples´ lives in Wales and open up many possibilities for the future of our nation. It is an agreement on an Assembly level only, of course. It will mean changes for us as politicians in the two parties but having talked to many of my European Parliament colleagues in similar coalitions I believe we can make it a success.

I will support this agreement positively and enthusiastically.

Y Toriaid a’r Iaith Gymraeg

Diddorol iawn oedd gweld ymateb llefarydd y Toriaid ddoe i’r ffaith bod cwmni teithio Thomas Cook wedi gwahardd ei weithwyr rhag siarad Cymraeg yn y gwaith. Dywedodd Paul Davies AC, y dylid cefnogi a hybu busnesau i ddefnyddio’r iaith ond na ddylid eu gorfodi - yr hyn roedd yn ei alw’n “codi ffiniau”. Dywedodd Arweinydd y Toriaid, Nick Bourne, yr un peth. Felly beth sydd wedi digwydd i gefnogaeth y Toriaid am Ddeddf Iaith Newydd? Rhaid i’r ddeddf newydd roi hawliau ieithyddol i Gymru Cymraeg. Dyw hwn ddim yn gyson a chynlluniau gwirfoddol, yn enwedig yn y sector preifat. Dyna un o brif ddiffygion y ddeddf bresennol.

Ond mae’n gyson gyda safbwynt y Toriaid ar ieithoedd llai ac aml-ieithrwydd yn Ewrop. Pleidleison nhw i gyd yn erbyn yr hawl i siarad ieithoedd yn y Senedd sy’n cael eu cynabod yn eu gwledydd eu hunain (fel y Gymraeg) ond nid oes ganddynt statws swyddogol yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Fe lwyddon nhw am sbel i blocio unrhyw ddefnydd o ieithoedd fel Catalan a Basg. Methiant fu eu hymdrechion yn y diwedd gan fod ‘na agweddau mwy agored i amrywiaeth diwylliannol a ieithyddol yn Ewrop yn gyffredinol. Ond bu’r Blaid yn ymgyrchu ers blynyddoedd i gael cydnabyddiaeth i’r Gymraeg yn Ewrop yn wyneb gwrthwynebiad llwyr y Toriaid (a Llafur tan yn ddiweddar iawn). Tybed a fyddai’r Toriaid yn cefnogi ymrwymiad yng nghytundeb y clymblaid arfaethedig i rhoi statws “iaith gwaith” i’r Gymraeg yn Senedd Ewrop nawr? Gan fod llywodraeth Prydain wedi cytuno mewn egwyddor, mae hynny o fewn pwerau’r Cynulliad. Neu ydyn nhw’n dweud un peth a gwneud yn wahanol?

The Tories and the Welsh Language

It was very interesting to see the Tory spokesperson response yesterday to the fact that the Thomas Cook travel agency banned its workers from speaking Welsh in the workplace. Paul Davies AM said that businesses should be supported and encouraged to use the language but shouldn’t be compelled - which he says would “erect barriers”. Tory Leader Nick Bourne said the same thing. What then has happened to the Tories support for a New Welsh Language Act? The new law must give linguistic rights to Welsh speakers. This is not consistent with voluntary schemes, especially in the private sector. This is one of the present act’s main problems.

But this is consistent with the Tory standpoint on lesser languages and multi-lingualism in Europe. They all voted against the right to speak languages in parliament which are recognised within their own countries (like Welsh) but don’t have official status in the European Union. They succeeded for a while to block any use of languages such as Catalan and Basque. In the end their attempts failed due to more enlightened and open approaches to cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe on the whole. But Plaid has campaigned for years for recognition for the Welsh language in Europe in the face of strong opposition from the Tories (and from Labour until very recently). I wonder if the Tories would now support a commitment in the proposed coalition agreement to give Welsh “working language” status in the European Parliament? As the UK Government has agreed in principle, it is within the Assembly’s powers. Or do they say one thing and do another?

See what the Tories say

http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=wales.news.story.page&obj_id=137069

No to coalition

I would like to declare my opposition to the proposed coalition between Plaid, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats in the National Assembly.

I have direct experience, both of negotiating to form political groups in the European Parliament and of the way coalitions are formed in other European countries. Successful coalitions can be formed between like minded parties with shared values and principles. By no stretch of the imagination are Plaid and the Tories “like minded”. On the contrary, we are at opposite ends of the political spectrum.

In the past weeks I have made my opposition known to the Executive, to Ieuan Wyn Jones and to the members of the Assembly group. I now feel it is important for those of us who see the dangers in this course of action to make those views known to the party members. It is the members who will decide on Saturday and I will be urging them to reject coalition.

There will be no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.