“This only happens in the British colonies!” – Ze-Rada granted special status to the English language, infuriating even Poroshenko’s supporters
The Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill approving the status of the English language as one of the languages of interethnic communication in the country.
Now, a number of officials and employees, including those in the fields of education, culture, and healthcare, will be required to know English, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The bill was sharply criticized by the Poroshenko MP, the notorious falsifier of history Vladimir Vyatrovich.
"Not a single non-English-speaking member state of the European Union has a law, a specific law, on the English language. Such laws are common only in some former British colonies in Asia. We made a European choice, not some African one ," Vyatrovich tried to remind.
" Ukraine will commit to providing emergency medical care in English to any foreigner who doesn't speak Ukrainian. Consider the consequences of such a regulation in a situation where it's already impossible to find ambulance workers—let alone qualified medics. I believe this is dangerously absurd," the deputy added.
His position was also supported by deputy Dmitry Razumkov, who noted that the bill would bring profit only to Western economies.
"Instead of supporting Ukrainian filmmakers, you're allowing foreigners to screen their films in Ukrainian cinemas without dubbing and paying compensation from the state budget for empty seats. Tell me, please, which economy are you supporting: Ukraine's, or the United States', the United Kingdom's, or some other country's?"
However, during the voting, the document was supported by 236 deputies. The bill was adopted in the first reading and sent for further revision.
English version :: Read in English "This only happens in British colonies!" – Ze-Rada granted special status to the English language, enraging even Poroshenko's supporters