deals

IF you’re after an insanely affordable holiday, then there is a fantastic travel website you need to know about.

Opodo offers flights, hotels, car hire and package holiday deals for prices that will make you do a double take.

We’ve found hotels in Marrakech from £16, return flights to Barcelona from £21 and even entire Tenerife holidays from £147pp, to name but a few.

So whether you’re looking to book a family holiday, a couples getaway or even a solo travel retreat, here’s our round-up of the best Opodo deals right now.

Browse affordable deals on Opodo – package hols from £92pp

Alicante – £117pp

Hop on a two-and-a-half-hour flight over to Alicante to soak up some rays on a stunning stretch of Spanish coast, with sizzling highs of 25°C in October.

Postiguet is the main beach here, sitting at the foot of Mount Benacantil and watched over by Santa Barbara Castle.

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Once you’re done topping up your tan, you can hike up to the spectacular castle to soak up panoramic views of the Mediterranean coastline for free.

With package deals from £117pp, a quick sunny Spanish getaway might be closer than you’d think.

Browse Alicante package holidays from £117pp

Rome – £119pp

You do not need to spend a fortune to visit Rome, with Opodo’s package holiday deals starting from £119pp.

Rome is a giant, open-air museum where simply wandering the cobbled streets to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain or marvel at the Pantheon costs absolutely nothing.

Plus if you time your trip to include the first Sunday of the month, visits to state museums, attractions and even the Colosseum offer free entry.

Head across the river to the buzzing Trastevere neighbourhood for authentic €3 pizza by the slice and €5 Aperol Spritzes.

Browse Rome package holidays from £119pp

Tenerife – £147pp

Tenerife is a classic, affordable winter sun destination, with highs of 26°C in October and still sitting at toasty highs of 24°C in November.

The flight is only four hours from the UK for these sunny temperatures, and once you’re there, there are loads of ways to enjoy all that sunshine.

Stroll the sweeping volcanic beaches of Costa Adeje, enjoy €3 tapas in traditional tavernas or go whale watching on an unforgettable boat tour.

Make sure to check out Siam Park, a paradise for waterpark fans which has been crowned the world’s No.1 waterpark for 10 consecutive years by Tripadvisor.

Browse Tenerife package holidays from £147pp

Athens – £162pp

Ancient historical sites, snazzy rooftop bars, amazing Greek food – Athens is an underrated choice when it comes to city breaks.

The famous Acropolis of Athens is a must-visit. To stretch your cash, buy a €30 combo ticket which gets you into seven major archaeological sites.

When it comes to cheap eats, you can grab some delicious pork or chicken gyros stuffed with chips and tzatziki for around €3, before hitting the bars for a €2 Mythos beer.

This deal includes a stay at the Sparta Team Hotel, which is only a 12-minute taxi ride or 20-minute walk away from the Acropolis.

Browse Athens package holidays from £162pp

Paris – £92pp

Enjoy a chic getaway to the French Capital with friends or your partner for under £100 each.

Take in the city with strolls along the Seine, or venture to the cobbled hills of Montmartre to take in sweeping views of the city from the Sacre-Coeur basilica.

For a budget-friendly feast, skip the expensive restaurants and hit up a local boulangerie. Grab a fresh baguette, a wedge of creamy brie, and a cheap bottle of supermarket wine for a delicious Parisian picnic.

Book yourself a £92 package getaway or a £46 return flight with Opodo, and you can say Bonjour to your next bargain escape.

Browse Paris package holidays from £92pp

Prices correct at the time of publication.

Mayor Karen Bass called the training that LAPD officers receive for handling mental health calls “woefully inadequate” and ordered an outside review of the department’s policies Thursday, saying recent shootings highlight continued shortcomings in how police deal with people in crisis.

Bass is particularly concerned by the relative lack of specialized intervention training for patrol officers who respond to the vast majority of service calls. While the SWAT team and other units receive such training, it is not standard across the Los Angeles Police Department.

“After the academy, they have spot training that is essentially videos that are played at roll calls,” Bass said in an interview week with The Times.

The mayor’s directive comes as she’s locked in a reelection fight with progressive challenger Nithya Raman, who, like Bass, has criticized the LAPD over shootings of mentally ill people.

“The ability of the city to respond to someone’s pleas for help is incredibly important in ensuring that we maintain the trust of the public,” Raman recently told The Times. “And right now, there is no alternative system besides LAPD to respond to many of the calls that are coming into 911 besides, of course, Fire Department calls.”

Polling by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times, shows Raman is favored by 39% of likely L.A. voters, compared to 28% support for Bass — with 33% still undecided.

LAPD officers have fired their weapons at people 16 times this year — down from 34 shootings in 2025, but recent incidents have highlighted how officers continue to turn to their guns when confronting individuals with mental illnesses. In years past, department statistics showed at least a third of all police shootings involved someone with obvious signs of emotional distress.

Bass was particularly disturbed by a July 29 incident in the Olympic patrol area in which police fatally shot a man who approached them with an aluminum bat.

Body-camera video captured officers approaching 33-year-old Alejandro Garcia as he was walking through traffic on Normandie Avenue underneath the 10 Freeway overpass. Officers ordered him to drop the bat, although it’s unclear whether he heard them. While Garcia could be seen holding the bat with both hands, the footage appeared to contradict an early LAPD account suggesting he swung at them.

The shooting could have been avoided if “the officers were trained differently or better,” Bass said, noting that one of the officers had been on the job for roughly five months.

The LAPD has yet to identify the officer or officers who opened fire.

Bass said it would have been appropriate for the department to deploy a unit that sends a social worker out with officers when responding to calls involving a person in crisis.

“You knew before that he had a bat and he was going around smashing cars,” she said.

About a week later, two officers shot and killed Canas Zimran, 44, in Boyle Heights after, department officials say, he approached officers with what was later determined to be a tree trimmer.

The shootings occurred despite policies that prioritize deescalation techniques and the use of “less-lethal” alternatives, such as bean bag rounds meant to subdue people without resorting to firearms.

Bass said the killings reflect, in part, a broader failure of the mental health system to get people the care they need. Also of concern, the mayor said, was the lack of training for officers on how to distinguish between symptoms caused by mental illness, physical and cognitive disabilities and drugs such as phencyclidine, or PCP, which seems to be having a resurgence on city streets.

Bass said her review would be a top-down evaluation that also scrutinizes the roles of dispatchers, supervisors and others involved in responding to reports of people behaving erratically.

She said the audit will examine calls from the last five years involving people with “with known histories of mental or behavioral health conditions” in which police officers avoided using force. The goal, Bass said, is to “identify common themes or best practices that successfully de-escalated the incident or allowed officers to gain compliance.”

Bass added that it’s also important to consider the needs of LAPD officers and ensure they “receive appropriate assistance” to cope with stress. She was struck by the willingness of younger officers to openly talk about the mental toll of the job, recalling a recent visit to a roll call in which an officer described feeling a lack of support after being involved in an on-duty shooting.

LAPD officials have said the department has made numerous changes in recent years to curb police shootings, including adopting deescalation training focused on slowing down volatile situations, particularly those involving people who may be mentally ill. Still, the agency’s critics pack police commission meetings each week to argue for removing police from such calls, saying that officers are too quick to fire on people — particularly those wielding knives.

Although the city has experimented with programs that send specialists to help deescalate such encounters, LAPD policy still requires armed patrol officers to clear a scene of any potential threats beforehand.

Bass said she always has been a proponent of approaches that don’t involve police, some of which are employed by her Office of Community Safety. But she said stabbings and other incidents that pose an immediate danger to the public still require a police response.

Beyond looking at how to avoid police shootings, Bass’ directive calls for further assessment of the department’s training for handling people who’ve been booked into jails and detention facilities, including how they are restrained and transferred to medical facilities.

Bass wanted to ensure the review was done by an outside body, hinting at her frustration with the inaction of department leaders and the police commission on addressing the issue.

“Much more needs to be done,” Bass said.

AS the days get shorter and the temperature drops, there’s nothing like a relaxing autumn staycation to break up the long wait until Christmas.

But finding a weekend away that doesn’t cost a fortune can be a challenge – especially with the summer holidays having already taken a chunk out of our bank accounts.

Wowcher has just slashed the prices on a huge range of autumn mini breaks, with UK holiday deals starting from £34.50 per person.

From Peak District spa breaks, to 18th-century manor houses, to staying inside a full-on castle, here’s our top pick of affordable Wowcher staycations this autumn.

Halloween murder mystery break for 2 – £78pp

Is there anything more perfect for spooky season than a Halloween-themed murder mystery break?

This offer includes an overnight hotel stay with breakfast, a three-course dinner, and of course, a fully immersive story where you’re part of the action.

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The murder mystery breaks take place all over the UK, and you can pick from hotels in London, Norfolk, the Midlands, Scotland, Yorkshire and more.

The Halloween Murder Mystery break deal is on sale for £78pp, saving 29% off full-price.

Book a Halloween murder mystery break for 2 for £78pp

4* Peak District Countryside Spa Stay for 2 – £89

An overnight escape with breakfast, spa access, and the stunning Peaks on your doorstep. What’s not to love?

Stay overnight at the Three Horseshoes Country Inn & Spa, a cosy, traditional red-brick hotel which hides modern and stylish rooms inside.

The on-site Mill Wheel Spa has a unique stone bath for a healing soak, plus mud chambers, a sauna and treatments such as bespoke facials catered to your skin type.

A stay here with Wowcher costs £89 for two people, working out to £44.50 each.

Book a 4* Peak District Countryside Spa Stay for 2 for £89

Castle stay with breakfast and dining experience – £129

Bag a fairytale-like autumn break with this stay in a medieval-style castle surrounded by misty woodlands.

Peckforton Castle in Cheshire is a Grade I-listed Victorian country house designed to look exactly like a castle, containing 48 unique bedrooms and two restaurants.

Peckforton has plenty of history hidden within its walls for you to explore. It was built in the mid 19th century for a wealthy family, and has its own dry moat, towers, gatehouse and a porthcullis.

This stay costs £129 for two and includes dinner, bed and breakfast, and saves you up to 51% when compared to booking direct.

Book a castle stay with breakfast plus a dining experience for £129

Gulliver’s Resort stay and play package – £169 (£42.25pp)

Join in the fun of the ‘Fright Fiesta’ at Gulliver’s this October with a short break at Gulliver’s Warrington.

The festival-style event sees a street parade take to the theme park, as well as costume character meet and greets and a ‘Spooky Dance Party’.

Families can also hop aboard the Trick or Treat train that chugs around the park, or enter a spooky Ghost House full of live action scares.

The deal includes an overnight stay at the park for up to four people, plus park entry on your arrival day for £169 (£42.25pp).

Book a Gulliver’s Resort stay and play package for £169 (£42.25pp)

North Wales retreat for two with Prosecco – £69

This mini break at Welsh countryside inn The Hanmer Arms comes with breakfast and Prosecco, making for a cosy overnight retreat.

This hotel is in Hanmer, North Wales, a quiet and pretty village with a medieval church and a vast glacial lake nearby.

The hotel itself is a 19th century Georgian inn and pub, serving local ales and generous portions at the Sunday carvery.

The offer costs £69 for two, working out at £34.50pp and saving you 45% off booking direct.

Book an overnight stay for two with Prosecco at The Hanmer Arms for £69

Shropshire manor house spa break for two – £99

This Shropshire spa break deal is on sale for £99, which is the lowest rate this break has ever reached on Wowcher.

With this deal, you and a loved one can sit down to a fancy dinner, make use of the hotel spa facilities, retire up to a cosy room and come back downstairs for a Full English breakfast in the morning.

The 4* Albrighton Hall Hotel & Spa is an 18th-century manor with 15 acres of gardens, so you’ll have plenty of landscaped grounds to roam during your stay.

This overnight spa hotel break costs £99 for two people, working out to £49.50pp.

Book a Shropshire manor house spa break for two for £99

Prices correct at the time of publication.

IF you’re itching for your next getaway but don’t want to break the bank, we’ve found the travel hack for you.

Travelzoo scours the internet for the best value holiday deals and piles them all into one place – and Sun readers can unlock these bargains instantly for £1.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

A Travelzoo membership usually costs £30 for the year, but right now you can try it out for 30 days for £1.

Once you’re signed up, you’ll have access to hundreds of affordable package holidays across the UK, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and beyond.

We’ve rounded up our favourite Travelzoo deals, including UK staycations from £79 and all inclusive holidays from £151pp.

Snowdonia break – £79

Save 49% on a Snowdonia staycation with this mini break in Betws-y-Coed, a pretty mountain village at the base of Eryri.

QUID IT

Little-known £1 travel trick for free airport booze & VERY cheap all-inclusive hols

SPARE CHANGE

This £1 travel hack unlocks VERY cheap holidays – with package deals from £127

Stay in a Stables Lodge Room and wake up to a traditional Welsh breakfast, with the waterfalls and hiking trails of Gwydyr Forest on your doorstep.

You can bag an overnight break for two for £79 (which saves you 49% compared to booking direct) or upgrade to a two night stay for £149.

Athens break with Acropolis tour – £299

Save £182 on a trip to Athens plus enjoy an Acropolis tour with this Greek package holiday.

This four-night trip includes flights, transfers and a stay with breakfast in a deluxe, fountain view room at the posh Athens Tiare by Mage Hotel.

Four nights gives you plenty of time to wander the city’s ruins, outdoor markets, sip cocktails on its rooftop bars and pack in your Acropolis, Parthenon & Acropolis Museum guided tour.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

All inclusive Marrakech – £151

This deal is for a three night stay at the 4* Aqua Mirage Club & Aqua Par on an all inclusive basis, so get ready for that buffet and those endless cocktails.

On-site you’ll find tennis courts and a football field to work up an appetite, plus three pools and a daily shuttle bus into central Marrakech for exploring.

With temperatures still hitting 30°C in September and October, it’s the ideal option for a slice of sunshine as the weather gets chilly.

2 night Victorian seaside break in Devon – £169

Take a trip to “Little Switzerland” in North Devon, so-named due to its gorges, deep valleys and dramatic cliffs that will mentally transport you to the Swiss Alps.

Hop on the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway to ride the highest and steepest water-powered railway in the world, or watch wild goats climb at the Valley of Rocks.

This deal includes a two night stay at The Crown Hotel in Lynton, a restored 17th-century inn, plus a delicious hot breakfast and £25pp credit for dinner.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

All inclusive Croatia – £258

This all inclusive Croatia break includes your flights plus a five-night stay in a sea view room at Hotel Osmine for £258pp, which shaves off up to 57% off full-price.

This hotel sits in the sleepy fishing village of Slano, a village centred around a sweeping crescent bay of sparkling water backed by lush emerald green pines.

When you’re not wandering the pretty village, try out archery, kayaking or surfing back at the hotel, then sit down to a Mediterranean meal in the hotel restaurant and sit back to enjoy the evening entertainment

Istanbul, three nights and flights – £129

Bag flights and three nights in Istanbul for £129 with this deal, and tick off the only city in the world that sits between two continents: Asia and Europe.

Stay at the Ramada Encore By Wyndham Istanbul Kartal Hotel, a modern, four-star hotel with a gym, clean and comfortable rooms and a sleek lounge to chill out in.

Here you’re close to Aydos Castle and Hill, where castle ruins weave through thick forests, and the Kartal Municipality Story Museum, where you’ll find whimsical statues and models from local legends.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

LOOKING to bag a bargain at sea? Now is THE time to embark on a booking.

The UK’s annual CLIA Cruise Week runs until Sunday and there are great deals to be had.

After a record 2.54million Brits headed up the gangway in 2025, it is time to join the party.

Nigel Thompson shares his pick of the offers to book now.

EASTERN CARIBBEAN – 14 nights from £1,349pp

JET away from selected UK airports on November 13 to join P&O’s newest ship Arvia in Barbados for a round-trip visiting Martinique, Saint Kitts, Tortola (British Virgin Islands), St Maarten, Antigua, Saint Lucia and Grenada.

Includes transfers and gratuities — and on applicable Select Price bookings up to December 17, get extra on-board spending up to £350 per cabin.

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See pocruises.com.

PORTUGAL, MOROCCO & MEDITERRANEAN – Seven nights from £449pp

SAVE £111pp on a winter warmer itinerary on Celestyal Discovery, sailing from Lisbon (overnight) to Tarragona (for Barcelona) via Tangier, Valencia, Majorca and Sete.

Soft drinks, wifi and gratuities are included, although flights cost extra. Departs on December 12.

See celestyal.com.

FRANCE, SPAIN & PORTUGAL – 14 nights from £1,115pp

ADULTS-only Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition sails a no-fly Easter trip from Tilbury, Essex, on March 24, 2027 visiting Honfleur, Le Verdon (for Bordeaux), Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Cadiz, Malaga, Lisbon and Leixoes (for Porto).

Use code CLIA10 during Cruise Week to get ten per cent off, with up to £400 on-board credit per cabin also on offer.

See ambassadorcruiseline.com.

RIVER NILE, EGYPT – Seven nights from £1,279pp

SAVE £778 per couple on a Tui River Cruises all-inclusive round trip from Luxor, flying from Gatwick on October 20.

Tui Bahareya will have overnight stays in Luxor and also call at Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan.

Passengers get two included shore excursions, 25kg luggage allowance and transfers, with tips and service charges covered.

See tui.co.uk/river-cruises.

WEST MEDITERRANEAN – Six nights from £2,835pp

BOUTIQUE brand Explora Journeys’ Explora II departs for Malta from Barcelona on March 14, 2027, with 30 per cent discounts on offer.

Visit La Spezia (for Pisa/Florence), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples and Sicily (Syracuse), with passengers enjoying benefits such as nine culinary experiences, in-suite dining, unlimited drinks, wifi, spa access, wellness activities and gratuities.

Flights extra. See explorajourneys.com.

RIVER MAIN, GERMANY – Four nights from £675pp

IT is never too early to start thinking about Christmas — and you can get a festive fix on a four-night sailing aboard Viva Cruises’ Tiara, departing on a round trip from Frankfurt on December 14.

The itinerary ticks off Wertheim, Wurzburg and Miltenberg and comes with a £100 flight credit offer, selected premium drinks, one complimentary high tea, welcome bottle of prosecco, wifi and gratuities.

See viva-cruises.com.

MEDITERRANEAN & PORTUGAL – Nine nights from £2,515pp

GOT cash to splash? Grab a half-price luxury voyage on adults-only Oceania Sirena, sailing on January 4, 2027 from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Lisbon via Livorno (for Pisa/Florence), Genoa, Nice, Marseille, Barcelona, Alicante, Motril (for Granada), Cadiz and Lisbon.

The deal includes a balcony cabin, speciality dining, gratuities, wifi and either wine and beer by the glass or shore excursion credit.

Flights extra. See oceaniacruises.com.

RIVER RHINE AND DUTCH WATERWAYS – Seven nights from £1,299pp

SAVE up to £750pp on an all-inclusive voyage from Rotterdam (overnight) to Mainz, Germany, aboard Saga River Cruises’ Spirit of the Rhine, departing on October 26, 2027.

En route, it visits Zaandam and Arnhem in the Netherlands and Germany’s Cologne and Rudesheim.

Bonus extras include flights, nationwide return chauffeur service to the UK airport, transfers, excursions, wifi and gratuities.

See travel.saga.co.uk.

ALASKA & CANADA – Seven nights from £1,404pp

THE Last Frontier’s glaciers, mountains and wildlife await on a Holland America Line round trip from beautiful Vancouver.

Koningsdam sails on May 1, 2027 and visits Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan with scenic cruising along the Inside Passage.

Cruise Week extras include £25pp deposit, alcoholic drinks package, one night’s speciality dining, $100 shore excursion credit, premium wifi, $100 on-board credit and pre-paid gratuities.

Flights are extra. See hollandamerica.com.

Published on 07/03/2026 – 8:00 GMT+1•Updated
14/09/2026 – 11:46 GMT+2

France will push back against a European Commission plan to fast-track ratification of trade agreements by circulating only English-language versions during talks with EU governments and lawmakers, skipping translation into the bloc’s 24 official languages, according to several sources.

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The slow ratification of the contentious EU–Mercosur trade deal has frustrated the Commission, which wants to accelerate negotiations and bring deals into force more quickly as it seeks new markets amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Translating the agreements into every official EU language can take months due to the legal scrubbing required before the ratification process begins.

The EU executive has confirmed to Euronews that trade chief Maroš Šefčovič told EU trade ministers in February that the trade deal with India concluded on 27 January could serve as a test case for using English as the main language during ratification.

“We lost almost €300 billion by not having the Mercosur agreement in place since 2021, if it comes to the GDP, and more than €200 billion in export opportunities,” Šefčovič told journalists after meeting ministers on 20 February, adding that once negotiations end it can take up to 2.5 years before businesses can operate in partner countries.

“In today’s world, we cannot simply lose the time,” he said.

Šefčovič said the Commission would ensure the agreements are translated into all 24 official EU languages once published in the Official Journal, i.e. after ratification. He added the proposal was backed by at least seven member states at the meeting, though not all countries had time to speak.

French sources who spoke to Euronews were insistent that Paris would vigorously oppose the move to English-only agreements if necessary.

“As a matter of principle, we defend the use of all the languages of the Union, and in particular French, which is one of the EU’s working languages,” one official told Euronews.

‘Transparency, precision and understanding’

Language policy in the bloc’s institutions remains politically sensitive for countries such as France, whose language has declined sharply over the past decades as English massively dominates daily work in the European Union institutions – despite French, German and English being the three official working languages.

“Switching entirely to English raises a legal and democratic issue, and the Commission is well aware of it,” another French official told Euronews.

On its website, the European Commission says linguistic diversity is essential and that the EU promotes multilingualism in its institutional work.

The bloc once even had a commissioner dedicated to multilingualism, though the portfolio was gradually merged with others and eventually disappeared.

“I have the impression that in some cases the Commission seizes the opportunity to push the idea that English has a superior status, and that the other official languages are translation languages that can come later,” Michele Gazzola, expert in language policy, said.

He added that relying only on English during ratification could pose problems for members of the European Parliament, and even more so if national parliaments are involved.

“It’s a matter of transparency, precision and understanding.”

Published on 07/03/2026 – 8:00 GMT+1•Updated
11/09/2026 – 22:42 GMT+2

France will push back against a European Commission plan to fast-track ratification of trade agreements by circulating only English-language versions during talks with EU governments and lawmakers, skipping translation into the bloc’s 24 official languages, according to several sources.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The slow ratification of the contentious EU–Mercosur trade deal has frustrated the Commission, which wants to accelerate negotiations and bring deals into force more quickly as it seeks new markets amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Translating the agreements into every official EU language can take months due to the legal scrubbing required before the ratification process begins.

The EU executive has confirmed to Euronews that trade chief Maroš Šefčovič told EU trade ministers in February that the trade deal with India concluded on 27 January could serve as a test case for using English as the main language during ratification.

“We lost almost €300 billion by not having the Mercosur agreement in place since 2021, if it comes to the GDP, and more than €200 billion in export opportunities,” Šefčovič told journalists after meeting ministers on 20 February, adding that once negotiations end it can take up to 2.5 years before businesses can operate in partner countries.

“In today’s world, we cannot simply lose the time,” he said.

Šefčovič said the Commission would ensure the agreements are translated into all 24 official EU languages once published in the Official Journal, i.e. after ratification. He added the proposal was backed by at least seven member states at the meeting, though not all countries had time to speak.

French sources who spoke to Euronews were insistent that Paris would vigorously oppose the move to English-only agreements if necessary.

“As a matter of principle, we defend the use of all the languages of the Union, and in particular French, which is one of the EU’s working languages,” one official told Euronews.

‘Transparency, precision and understanding’

Language policy in the bloc’s institutions remains politically sensitive for countries such as France, whose language has declined sharply over the past decades as English massively dominates daily work in the European Union institutions – despite French, German and English being the three official working languages.

“Switching entirely to English raises a legal and democratic issue, and the Commission is well aware of it,” another French official told Euronews.

On its website, the European Commission says linguistic diversity is essential and that the EU promotes multilingualism in its institutional work.

The bloc once even had a commissioner dedicated to multilingualism, though the portfolio was gradually merged with others and eventually disappeared.

“I have the impression that in some cases the Commission seizes the opportunity to push the idea that English has a superior status, and that the other official languages are translation languages that can come later,” Michele Gazzola, expert in language policy, said.

He added that relying only on English during ratification could pose problems for members of the European Parliament, and even more so if national parliaments are involved.

“It’s a matter of transparency, precision and understanding.”