The status of English in the European Union after Brexit. Is there a way to fit English in the EU context?

ABSTRACT Almost five years have passed since the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union was considered to be definite. Now, in 2021, we finally see the Brexiting process start and some more practical problems arise. Although the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement as of 1 January 2021 clarifies what is due to happen in certain areas of policy, the language issue still remains unsolved. All these years English has not only been an official and a working language, but also the most commonly used for institutional communication and the one that the majority of the European citizens speak as a second language. Moreover, it is tied to the language regime of the Union, its citizens’ rights and its language policy, and has a special status worldwide. The fact that the United Kingdom left the European Union, but English remains an official language up to this day without the unanimous decision of the Member States is the purpose of this contribution. Furthermore, the position of English in the European Union and the citizens’ rights are analysed, and its future in this context is investigated through the presentation of some scenarios and their results.