Poland, Hungary push against “gender equality” at EU social summit

Lobbying by Poland and Hungary has led to the removal of the phrase “gender equality” from a draft declaration on advancing social cohesion that the EU is due to publish on Friday, according to diplomats and documents seen by Reuters.

Poland’s nationalist ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) and its eurosceptic ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, promote what they call traditional social values at home and have repeatedly clashed with their more liberal Western peers over the rights of women, gays and migrants.

The two countries opposed mentioning “gender equality” directly in the draft prepared for discussion by the bloc’s 27 national leaders, who are meeting in the Portuguese city of Porto on Friday and Saturday.

While an earlier draft said the bloc would “promote gender equality”, the later version seen by Reuters – which could potentially be redrafted again – avoids the phrase and reads:

“We will step up efforts to fight discrimination and work actively to close gender gaps …and to promote equality.”

European Union diplomats said Warsaw and Budapest had sought the looser language. Both governments have sought to promote Catholic, conservative social values in campaigns that have gone hand-in-hand with increasing state control over media, courts and academics.

Asked to comment on the matter, a Polish official said: “Poland always underlines how important legal clarity is… The Treaty of the European Union very clearly refers not to gender equality but to equality between women and men.” The official did not elaborate.