EU resistance against Hungary's Pride ban: Orban under pressure!

EU resistance against Hungary's Pride ban: Orban under pressure!

The protests within the European Union (EU) against the planned ban on the Pride parade in Hungary are increasingly gaining intensity. The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sees himself exposed to massive pressure due to his policy for LGBTQ+community. In March, the Hungarian government passed a law that enables a quasi-prohibition for Pride events and allows the police to use facial recognition software. This has set the project of numerous EU member states that are now calling for measures against Budapest.

Already 20 EU countries and the Swedish Minister of European Minister Jessica Roscrantz sharply criticize the Hungarian methods and describe the measures against pride parades as unacceptable. In a joint explanation, Germany, France, the Benelux countries, Austria and Denmark expressed their displeasure. The protection of LGBTQ+persons is increasingly regarded as an essential component of European values ​​that are endangered by measures such as the Hungarian.

reactions from politics

The EU Commission sees the Hungarian law as a clear violation of EU law. Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath vehemently demands the withdrawal of the law by Hungary. At the same time, the German Minister of European State Gunther Krichbaum emphasizes that the rights of European citizens are at stake. The patience of the EU with Hungary could soon be put to the test, since it is already being discussed whether the Article 7 procedure should be initiated if a serious violation of the rule of law is determined. Such a procedure could demand that Hungary lose his voting rights in EU decisions.

Hungary Minister of European History Janos Boka denies an explicit ban on the Pride events and refers to the right of the Hungarian government to maintain national moral norms. Nevertheless, the situation is tense: many MEPs plan to show solidarity with the Pride in Budapest on June 28th in order to set a sign against the restrictive policy of the Hungarian government.

LGBTI rights in Europe

LGBTI rights have been in the focus of European politics for over 25 years. The EU has campaigned intensively for the equality of lesbian, gays, bi-, trans- and intersexual people. These efforts are anchored in important EU documents, including the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000). According to a survey by the European Union for Fundamental Rights (FRA) from 2013, many LGBTI people in the EU are still exposed to discrimination, hate speeches and violence.

Despite the progress, there are declining in several EU countries. The new EU strategy aims to improve the situation for LGBTI people and to promote the reduction of discrimination and prejudices. While hate speeches, especially homo- and transthobically motivated acts, are common, social acceptance in many Member States is still a controversial topic. The results of the annual "Rainbow Europe" report of Ilga-Europeans clearly show that the topic is still important and there is a need for action.

For more information about the LGBTI rights in Europe, visits youth.europa.eu to find out, you can find details on SPIEGEL.de href = "https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/ungarn-pride-verbot-100.html"> tagesschau.de .