MEPs demand action against Hungary’s anti-LGBTIQ legislation

A broad majority of MEPs has demanded concrete action from Council and Commission against the continuous deterioration of EU values in Hungary’s and Poland’s anti-LGBTIQ legislation. The Council and Commission’s failure to act against them, MEPs say, have ‘enabled attacks on EU values’. A resolution drafted by Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer will be voted upon on Thursday

A broad consensus of MEPs, the Slovenian Presidency of the European Council and the European Commission are cranking up the pressure on Hungary’s recently adopted anti-LGBTIQ legislation.

In a plenary debate on Wednesday morning, both Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar, and Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourova underscored how the actions of Victor Orban’s government not only contradict EU law but they also fall squarely within the EU’s remit under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and are not, as some argue, under the competence of individual member states.

Asking the EU Presidency and the Commission “to act to protect Europeans and the EU as a whole”, MEPs pointed to the a lack of concrete and decisive action, partly from the Commission in relation to protecting the EU budget under conditionality rules that are still to be used for the first time. Rule of law conditionality rules could see both states having their EU budgets slashed over the state of affairs.

Council ‘stalling’ implementation of Article 7 against Hungary and Poland

But MEPs’ main object of disdain was the European Council, where they argue EU leaders are stalling the implementation of Article 7 against Hungary and Poland. Article 7 is the last resort to resolve a crisis and to ensure the EU country complies with EU values. Article 7 provides for special mechanisms with far-reaching sanctions, such as the suspension of voting rights at Council level, in cases when an EU country does not respect the EU’s fundamental values, including the rule of law.

This abject failure to act on Hungary and Poland over their ant-LGBT laws, MEPs contend, “has enabled these attacks on EU values”.

Several MEPs lamented how a lack of political will is aggravating the situation and leads to the continuous degradation of the European Union and the proliferation of such practices.

Some MEPs even stressed that the Hungarian and Polish governments are using these attacks on EU values to cover up corruption and policy failures.

MEPs asked for LGBTIQ persons to be protected, especially those who are minors, from the “potentially psychologically and physically disastrous persecution that they are facing as a result of the new legislation, especially that in Hungary.

“The infringement of their freedom of expression and right to dignity, under the pretext of anti-paedophilia legislation, should not be left unanswered,” they stated.

Issue being used to ‘attack traditional, conservative values’

On the flipside, some MEPs argued that there was nothing wrong with the new Hungarian law and that it falls within the government’s exclusive powers to decide on such matters, as opposed to the Presidency’s and Commission’s reading of the situation.

Accusing the EU of double standards, several speakers opined that LGBTIQ persons and organisations face no obstacles in Hungary and Poland, and that the issue is being used to attack the sovereignty of member states that adhere to “traditional” or “conservative” values.

Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer drafting resolution on Hungary

The European Parliament had appointed Maltese Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer to draft and lead negotiations on an eventual resolution, expected to call on the EU to instigate formal legal procedures against Hungary for breaching European Union law.

Engerer has been tasked to lead a group of MEPs, one from each political group, to come up with the joint resolution to be discussed and voted upon during the European Parliament plenary session of this week.

Hungary’s Fidesz Government lead by ultra nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been under the spotlight after a series of breaches of EU law and the EU’s core fundamental values. The latest is a controversial legislation enacting an outright ban on teaching students about gender diversity and sexual orientation.

The new Hungarian legislation received notoriety after the legislation became a defining part of this year’s UEFA European Football Championship when the football organisation turned down a request from the Munich city council to light up the Munich Stadium in Rainbow colours in protest against the Hungarian legislation.

Engerer comments, “We are looking at a momentous resolution which calls out the Hungarian Government under the autocratic rule of hardline nationalist Prime Minister Victor Orban for their breach of Union law, fundamental rights and the rule of law in Hungary.

“I will be leading a team of MEPs in negotiations on this resolution which will indeed be calling on the EU to officially take the strongest action against the Hungarian government in light of their recent legislative attacks on the fundamental human rights of the Hungarian LGBTIQ community.”

In March this year, Engerer was praised by British actor Stephen Fry after he clapped back when Orban referred to the LGBTIQ community as “lunatics” in a letter to all MEPs.

“The European Union is no place for the politics of hate. The fact that Orban has introduced a Russian-styled homophobic law into the European Union’s own legislative framework must be condemned, and punished. All human beings must be protected.

“LGBTIQ Rights are Human Rights, in Hungary, in Malta, in the EU and all across the world.”

A  vote on Engerer’s resolution will be held on Thursday.