Speaking In Tongues

Abstract

At a press conference a couple of weeks ago, Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Commissioner Gunther Verheugen presented the Commission's plan to kick Europe's competitive butt into gear. The gentlemen spoke mostly English. It was partly intelligible, partly incomprehensible. Their English may be fluent, but the flow isn't English if you see what I mean. Mr. Barroso also answered questions in other languages and he is no doubt a great linguist, but not as good as the interpreters.