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THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION is to launch legal action against EU member Hungary on Thursday in response to a law seen as discriminating against LGBTQ citizens.
A senior EU source has confirmed that Brussels would send Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government a warning letter on Wednesday and begin the “infraction procedure” on Thursday.
Last week, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned that the EU would use “all powers available” to force Hungary to repeal or modify the law.
The so-called “anti-paedophilia” law came into force on Thursday last week despite Brussels’ warning.
The legislation was billed as a way to protect children, but opponents argue that it conflates paedophilia with homosexuality and stigmatises the LGBTQ community.
The law bans the sharing of content that “promotes” being gay to children and teenagers, impacting education in schools.
The legal text of the law states that “in order to ensure… the protection of children’s rights, pornography and content that depicts sexuality for its own purposes or that promotes deviation from gender identity, gender reassignment and homosexuality shall not be made available to persons under the age of eighteen”.
Last week, the Hungarian government wrote to Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman after he joined other EU leaders in criticising the law. The Minister described it as “homophobia dressed up as a child protection measure”.
In the letter, the Hungarian government accused those critical of the law of “grave disrespect” towards the country, claiming that the new laws will ensure “more stringent action against paedophile offenders” and that the law was drafted to “protect children”.
Brussels’ letter is the first step in a procedure that could lead to a case before the European Court of Justice and from there to financial penalties on Hungary.
Separately, the commission has also yet to approve Hungary’s application for €7.2 billion in coronavirus recovery funding, even as other member states expect to receive their first payments.
Additional reporting by Jane Moore
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Far left
@Seamus Balfe: That’s what we need more of.
They are having a slash against the wind
Far Left vs Far Right, Muslim population wanting their own laws, France is on the edge & will be the first European country to descend into chaos. Macron warning about Putin & the Far Right, when the fact is, he failed the French people in his terms of office & France has splintered since under his watch. Putin doesn’t have to consider invading Europe, as it will destroy itself from within, led by incompetent leaders like Macron. Amazing how the Far Left are seen as acceptable, even the French Communist party, considering the history of Communism & the massacres inflicted on people.
@SV3tN8M4: I see reactions from people who are unaware that policies on climate modelling or immigration are influenced by the academic community acting through social politics.
Left and right politics are governed by forces people do not sufficiently appreciate. Even though the combination of civil laws and laws of nature (Enlightenment) was meant to replace monarchies and church hierarchies, it was based on awful foundations in the late 17th century.
We inherit the worst and most unstable part of that subculture with many as victims.
A win of RN seems inevitable and that’s a good thing.
White flag
The new Netflix doc about the Nazi’s – ‘Evil on Trial’ is really good, even if you’ve seen a lot on the subject already. We can never have enough ‘timely reminders’ about what happened. Right now it really is timely. So many of the same things are being said, spouted and dispersed but on a much larger scale. The disinformation is turbo charged.
One of the main things that comes across is how much disbelief there is within the larger more apathetic populace. They assume there will be enough safeguards in place and that authoritarians aren’t fully serious when they clearly tell you what they are going to do if put in a position of power.
There’s lots of incredible footage that really drives home (once again) how easily people are caught up in frenzies, if it looks like a large enough crowd are behind a movement.
You can see the seeds being planted here with all of the obvious accounts that are there to pump one part of the Irish media with far right ideas on top of X/Twitter, Facebook and all the rest. There’s so many lies being told and as ever with the far right all your problems will allegedly be solved by getting rid of a certain group of people. As if. Simple ‘solutions’ for the simple minded. You might be annoyed about current problems in your society but far right is never ever the way to go.
@SerotoninWars: or have a look at the tattooist of austwhich
Good. Keep the demons out.
I for one think that The Judaen People’s Front are better than The People’s Front of Judea!
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