Even Italy, after the protests, signed the joint declaration of 13 EU countries against the Hungarian anti-LGBT law approved in recent days. To sign the text in the margins of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, on the initiative of Belgium, were first: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden e Latvia. Italy initially took time, asking, through the undersecretary dem Enzo Amendola, “Clarifications in Budapest” in the Council. Then, at the end of the session, the announcement: “Italy has also signed,” he wrote on Twitter. In the meantime, however, the controversies had begun to mount, even in the front of the same Democratic party. The news of Italian “prudence” had in fact arrived at the end of a day of controversy and tensions regarding rights both in Italy and in Europe. On the one hand there is the game Germany-Hungary that you play at Monaco Wednesday 23 June: on the eve of the match, UEFA intervened by denying the possibility of lighting the stadium with rainbow colors in protest against the Hungarian state. On the other hand, there is the case of Italy: the Vatican has plunged into the discussion of the ddl Zan against homotransphobia by requesting a modification of the text and challenging the Concordat. The Prime Minister Mario Draghi, when asked, he announced that he would comment on the measure against homophobia in Parliament and acknowledged that this is “an important issue”. So far the premier has not taken a position on the bill that divides his majority.
Meanwhile, the clash in Europe is on the Hungarian question: the law approved last week bans films and books with “LGBT content” to minors under the age of 18 on the grounds that it intends to ban “the promotion of homosexuality to minors”. For this 14 states they asked the commission to evaluate the case and take a stand. “The European Commission is examining” the law “to see if it violates EU law,” he said Vera Jourova, at the end of the General Affairs Council. The President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen “He has already expressed his concerns”, saying “clearly that we believe in a Europe that embraces diversity and does not hide it from our children and young people”, explained Jourova, stressing that Brussels does not see “significant efforts” on the part of Budapest “to find common ground with EU values”. Jourova also stressed the need to protect “freedom of expression”, since “no one should be discriminated against for their sexual orientation”.
At today’s meeting of European ministers with responsibility for General Affairs took place a second hearing on Hungary and Poland in the context of Article 7 of the European Treaties, which provides for a mechanism for the suspension of some of the membership rights of a Member State – such as the right to vote in institutional fora – in the event of a serious and persistent violation of the principles on which the EU rests. Amendola, Pd undersecretary to the Prime Minister with responsibility for European Affairs, decided to sign only at the end of the Council and first asked Budapest for “clarifications” which, however, did not arrive. “We have not joined the petition of some states, preferring to wait for the Hungarian position in the Council“, He explained. However, the perplexities remain. A thorough assessment by the Commission is required. Italy, as a recent declaration in Coimbra, has never lacked support for rights Lgbtiq at European level”.