Take languages more seriously, says German envoy

The new German ambassador in London says that it is high time the British took learning languages more seriously and stopped thinking that everyone in the world speaks English. Thomas Matussek, who took up his post last month, also fears that our linguistic competence has declined since he last served at his country's London embassy 25 years ago.

Speaking to The Independent in his first newspaper interview since taking up his post, Mr Matussek made it clear that he intended to pick up the language crusade where his predecessor, Hans-Friedrich von Ploetz, left off. Mr von Ploetz had joined his fellow European ambassadors in highlighting the low priority given to language-teaching in Britain and the poor level of participation in school and university exchanges.

Speaking in the drawing room of the German ambassador's glorious stucco mansion in Belgrave Square, Mr Matussek said: "The small number of school exchanges, the small amount of language training and the small percentage of A-level foreign language courses here astonished me. I know it is more difficult if you live on an island and have no immediate neighbours, but it should be possible for more people to spend some time in, say, Berlin or Munich."

With a benevolent smile, he said: "It is time to end the attitude that everyone in the world speaks English." It would be impertinent to point out that his own flawless English almost undermines his argument.

Mr Matussek is a living tribute to Germany's European credentials and the way it grooms its diplomats. A lawyer and historian by training, he studied in Paris and Bonn, so English is his third language. He is also an eloquent and undoubting supporter of the European project and fastidious in his observance of protocol.

He has no hesitation in saying that he would like to see Britain join the euro because it would allow Britain to play a greater part in the European Union. "It's very exciting to watch Britain getting engaged in Europe and we are very keenly interested in seeing Britain playing a leading role in Europe." But, he adds carefully: "With the UK, our business is not to interfere in the domestic debate here. But if people want to see the advantages of stronger involvement, hear the advice of strangers, then ..." and he waves a hand to imply, "then, we're always here".

Mr Matussek applies his sunny optimism equally to EU expansion, "which will give so much added value and social cohesion" to the continent and fulfil the promise of "a Europe whole and free". Well-known German misgivings about the impact on employment and immigration of EU expansion to the east do not cloud the ambassador's vision. "Integration," he says, "is what the modern world calls for."

Mr Matussek is as flattering about his host country as a new ambassador should be. He enthuses about the qualities he thinks a more deeply engaged Britain could bring to Europe, starting with the flexibility of the British economy. This, he says, would be "like a shot in the arm, supplying fresh blood that we could use". Internationally, he suggests that "British pragmatism and experience of the world can help overcome European parochialism."

And Britain's "special relationship" with the US, he says, brings to Europe not just an additional line of communication and dimension of trust, but long-standing contacts, experience and analysis. From his time in Washington, Mr Matussek is familiar with the scepticism of successive administrations about Europe's ability to act as one.

"The US looks at Europe and asks 'where's the beef?' If you look at the big issues – it can't deliver." But this situation will change, he believes, and Britain's clout in Washington would be "enormously enhanced" if it brought along 380 million Europeans.

Thomas Matussek is a heavyweight diplomat of broad expertise, whose arrival in London testifies not just to the importance that Germany attaches to relations with Britain, but to London's position in Europe and in international diplomacy. His last big assignment in his previous post as head of the political department at the German foreign ministry in Berlin was to organise the Königswinter talks last year that brought the war in Afghanistan to an end. In London, Germany's new envoy to the Court of St James will be in his element: a consummate professional in one of the diplomatic centres of the world.