the European Commission steps up against Viktor Orban

The menu of the European summit, which is being held Thursday and Friday in Brussels, was already dense between the recovery plan, migration policy, relations with Turkey and Russia. But another sizeable dossier was added to the agenda at the last minute: the Hungarian law against homosexuality.

Associations fear censorship

The text of the law clearly indicates that pornography, like content that promotes gender reassignment or homosexuality, must be prohibited to minors. But what content will be affected? This is all the ambiguity of this very vague law and therefore subject to interpretation.

NGOs fear, for example, the ban on certain advertisements. In 2019, Coca-Cola posters showing a couple of men had already sparked calls for a boycott. This censorship could also apply to books, films or series, such as Friends or Billy Eliott, because homosexuality is one of the subjects addressed. The text also specifies that sex education classes will henceforth be provided by organizations approved by the State.

“They have nothing more to do in the European Union”

This law has been described as “shameful” by the chairman of the committee, Ursula von der Leyen. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was ordered to explain himself during dinner on Thursday evening. When he arrived, he seemed very serene and sure of his rights. “Under the communist regime, I fought for freedom. Homosexuality was forbidden, so I fought for their rights. I defend them, but this law has nothing to do with it. children and parents, ”he said.

But it will take more to convince a good part of his colleagues. The Benelux countries are at the forefront in this fight: Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo arrived with the rainbow flag pinned to his jacket and the Dutchman Mark Rutte had it hoisted on his embassy. “For me, they have nothing more to do in the European Union. Unfortunately, in our system, no one can force them to leave. We must act step by step and hope in the meantime that they will go back” , he launched, particularly recovered.

“We need to have a discussion between member states”

The European Commission is indeed ready to launch the first stage of the infringement procedure. At the same time, 17 heads of state and government, including Emmanuel Macron, signed a joint letter to commit to continuing to fight against discrimination against LGBT people. “We need to have a discussion between member states. It will be frank, it will be firm. I hope that in this dialogue, we will also find a way which will allow it to carry out what its priorities are, but while fully respecting our values ​​and therefore to bring himself a change of this text “, declared the President of the Republic, who hopes that Viktor Orban will step back on his own. But in the room, Viktor Orban will have allies on Friday, with the Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki in the front row.

In Hungary, associations believe that this legislative vagueness also maintains the risk of a dissuasive effect among the organizers of public events. “How to make sure that a child will not pass in the streets during a Gay Pride?”, Asks one of them in the Hungarian press. But Viktor Orban defends himself: “This law does not concern homosexuality but the way in which a child learns homosexuality.”