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New agreements to strengthen Frisian language and culture

General

The signing of the BFTK by Commissioner of the King Brok and Minister De Jonge of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. In the middle deputy Eke Folkerts (photo: province of Fryslân)

Over the next five years, central government and the province of Fryslân will invest heavily in the Frisian language. The agreements are laid down in the Bestjoersôfspraak Fryske Taal en Kultuer (BFTK) signed on Monday 8 April by Minister Hugo de Jonge of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and Commissioner of the King in Fryslân Arno Brok. The central government is making a total of 18 million euros available to implement the agreements.

In this BFTK, the State and the province of Fryslân lay down how they will work in the period 2024-2028 to protect and promote the Frisian language and culture. This will include giving a boost to Frisian education. The government will also make money available for appointing multilingualism coordinators at Frisian municipalities. Minister Hugo de Jonge: "Language is everywhere, every day. And then it is nice if that language is the one closest to you, no matter which region you live in. Because language is inextricably linked to who you are. For many Frisians, that is Frisian. That is why it is important to protect and strengthen the use of this language. With this new Bestjoersôfspraak, we are raising the bar for this considerably."

Five priorities
The state and the province have been making such administrative agreements for some time. This is laid down in the Act on the Use of the Frisian Language, which states that together they have a duty of care for the Frisian language and culture. Five priorities have been identified within the new agreements for the period 2024-2028: visibility of Frisian in public spaces, digitisation of Frisian, Frisian in education and research, language transfer between generations and decentralised language policy.

Commissioner Eke Folkerts: "Frisian is the language of the heart of a lot of Frisians. With the agreements we have now made with the state, we can further strengthen the use of Frisian. Frisian deserves an equal place everywhere. Not only at home, at school or in contact with government bodies, but also in the online world and in all forms of culture. Think for instance of elpenloft stuff, music and literature, but certainly also films, booktoks and podcasts. I look forward to the first Frisian-language krimi on national television or at an international streaming service."

Scientific education and research
Scientific education and research is essential for a vital Frisian language and culture. The Fryske Akademy provides and funds part of the chairs at Utrecht University and the University of Amsterdam. In accordance with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the State has promoted the study and research of Frisian at univers, the State has the task of promoting the study and research of Frisian at universities and equivalent institutions. By virtue of this role, the State co-finances the Fryske Akademy. The Fryske Akademy's Mercator European Knowledge Centre for Multilingualism and Language Learning will give practical shape to more links between scientific research, policy development and that of the linguistic vitality of Frisian.

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