The Institute for Occitan Studies wishes to react through his President, Mr. Pierre Bréchet, to the number of unfulfilled promises and denials by the Government concerning the bill on Education.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets last year in Toulouse protesting in favour of a Law on Regional Languages, after having heard the promised by candidate Mr Hollande and his spokesperson and president of the Senate, Mr Jean-Pierre Bel, as expectations following their statements were very high.

Having confirmed last 13 March that the French State will not ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the Institute for Occitan Studies wishes to react to the adoption of the Bill on School Reform adopted by the French National Assembly on March 19.

Such regressive law represents a deliberate attempt from a Jacobin, centralizing State against the Occitan language and culture. In view of this, the Institute for Occitan Studies calls for the mobilization of everyone (we were 30,000 people in Toulouse in March 2012 and we know that our potential is much higher) to exert pressure on their elected politicians (especially senators as the Bill needs to go now to the Senate) and express their displeasure of these governmental decisions.

Many of them engaged back in 2012 to give us their support. It is high time we reminded them of their engagement and of their responsibility under this urgent situation.

We must immediately demand our deputies, senators and territorial counselors to make the necessary amendments to this Bill so as to adopt a true and efficient language policy in which every language has its rights. Never before have Occitan and the rest of the so-called regional languages been in so much peril.

In light of the above, we must defend our fundamental rights. Our actions and reactions shall continue as we witness the evolution of this situation.