“No room for discrimination”: EU slams Hungary’s LGBTQ law

The European Commission stands with the LGBTQ community in Hungary, and in every other EU member state, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law said in a plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday.

In a debate on Hungary’s recent legislative amendments and their impact on fundamental rights, Michael McGrath said in connection with the constitutional amendment submitted to parliament that affects Pride marches in Budapest that there was no room for discrimination in the EU.

The commissioner said the EU was “a union of freedom and equality” where everyone should be able to “be who they are, live and love freely”. He said fundamental rights needed to be protected across Europe as core elements of democracy.

The new law, the commissioner said, was incompatible with the values enshrined in the provisions of the EU treaty as well as of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. He added that the Hungarian law contained provisions that were “disproportionate to achieve the stated objective”.

“The Commission will not hesitate to take further action and, where appropriate, launch infringement procedures to ensure respect of the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary,” McGrath said.

Tamás Deutsch, the head of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat EP delegation, said in his address that the principle of putting the protection of children first had been enshrined in the constitution, adding that the Hungarian solution was “exemplary”. He also said the freedom of assembly was more respected in Hungary than in any other European country.

Deutsch said that while Europe was being “overrun by illegal migrants, the competitiveness of European national economies is in ruin and inflation and energy prices are skyrocketing because of ill-advised sanctions”, the EP was “passing the time with another cheap political show attacking Hungary”.