According to Jānis Krastiņš, EP Press Secretary in Latvia, MEPs described the new Hungarian law as a “clear violation of European Union (EU) values, principles and legislation”, which is contrary to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, EU treaties and EU internal market law.
Proponents of the resolution have emphasized that this is not an isolated case, but “rather another deliberate and premeditated example of the phasing out of fundamental rights in Hungary”.
They emphasize that “state-funded LGBTI-phobia and disinformation campaigns have become instruments of political censorship by the Hungarian government”.
The resolution argues that these human rights violations are part of a wider political agenda to undermine democracy and the rule of law, including freedom of the media, and should be seen as a systematic violation of EU values.
Recent manifestations of the problem include amendments to the country’s constitution to state that “the mother is a woman and the father a man” and a de facto ban on the legal recognition of the sexes of transgender and intersex people, the authors of the resolution stressed. In this context, MEPs emphasized their commitment to the rights of the child, stating that tolerance, acceptance and diversity should be the guiding principles for the best interests of the child.
MEPs who supported the resolution call on the European Commission (EC) to launch an accelerated infringement procedure against Hungary and, if necessary, to use all procedural means, such as temporary sanctions for non-compliance. They also call on Member States to refer the matter to the European Court of Justice if the Commission fails to do so and to lodge a cross-border application with the European Court of Human Rights.
In addition, supporters of the resolution have pointed to a number of cases in Hungary where the Rule of Law Regulation needs to be applied immediately in order to protect the EU budget. They expressed concern that Hungary’s recovery and sustainability plan might not be in line with EU law.
The EP also calls on the Council of Europe and the EC to unblock the Anti-Discrimination Directive and to establish a permanent mechanism for the protection of EU values proposed by Parliament. Concerned that Hungarian law is reminiscent of the “LGBT Propaganda Law” passed in Russia in 2013, MEPs call on the Commission to carry out an in-depth study into the financing of anti-LGBTI campaigns in Europe.
In a resolution, Parliament also reiterated its previous condemnation of the use of Latvian and Lithuanian legislation on information available to minors in the field of education and the media to censor LGBTI-related content and material.
MEPs are also concerned about Croatia, which has announced a proposal by the Conservative MOST to ban children from being subjected to LGBTI propaganda, and MOST has also sued LGBTI organizations that have accused the party of inciting intolerance and homophobia and inciting hatred.
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On June 15, 2021, the Hungarian parliament passed a law almost unanimously (157 votes to one) banning the inclusion of LGBTI content in school curricula or television programs for children under the age of 18 on the pretext of fighting pedophilia. The new law entered into force in Hungary on 8 July.
