Среда 1 января 2025 г.

Hungary's anti-LGBT law is a 'shame' says Ursula von der Leyen

Hungary's anti-LGBT law is a 'shame' says Ursula von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced her executive will send a letter of formal notice to the Hungarian government over a recent anti-LGBT law.
Hungarian lawmakers approved this month a bill that makes it illegal to portray homosexuality and sex reassignment in school education material and television programmes targeted at people under the age of 18.
The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán argues the law primarily targets paedophilia.


The conflation between the LGBT community and paedophiles has been harshly denounced by human rights experts and civil society for perpetuating damaging stereotypes.
"This Hungarian bill is a shame," von der Leyen said on Wednesday morning.
"I’ve instructed my responsible [European] Commissioners to write a letter to the Hungarian authorities expressing our legal concerns before the bill enters into force.
"This bill clearly discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation and it goes against all the fundamental values of the European Union.

"This is human dignity, it is equality and it’s the human fundamental rights. So we will not compromise on these principles."
Von der Leyen made the comments next to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a formal visit where she presented the Commission's green light to Belgium's national recovery and resilience plan under Next Generation EU.
"I strongly believe in a European Union where you are free to love whom you want. And I believe in a European Union that embraces diversity. This is the foundation of our values," she said.
"I will use all the powers of the Commission to ensure that the rights of all EU citizens are guaranteed, whoever you are and wherever you live."
A letter of formal notice is the first step in an infringement procedure.
The Commission gives the notified member state up to two months to reply. If the response is not considered satisfactory or fails to materialise, the Commission can resort to a reasoned opinion: a request to comply with EU law. If the member states refuses to cooperate, the matter could be referred to the European Court of Justice.
The President's remarks follow a critical statement signed by 14 EU member states, led by the Benelux countries, that expressed "grave concern" over the Hungarian law.
"It represents a flagrant form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and hence deserves to be condemned. Inclusion, human dignity and equality are core values of our European Union, and we cannot compromise on these principals," they wrote on Tuesday.
Reacting to the coordinated move, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary's Foreign Affairs Minister, dismissed all negative opinions and asked critics to read the law in full.
"This law is not against any community in Hungary," Szijjártó said.
"This law is against all the paedophiles so this law makes it very clear that the children must be protected and that's why this law makes it very clear that paedophile crimes must be punished in a very, very serious way."

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