In July 2022, the European Commisision referred Hungary’s anti-LGBT law to the European Court of Justice. Photo credit: Freepik.
Prague, April 6 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will not join the European Commission’s lawsuit against the Hungarian law which has received widespread criticism for discriminating against sexual minorities. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky (Pirates) announced the decision on Twitter following a cabinet meeting yesterday, adding that he was unhappy about the decision.
In 2021, the Hungarian parliament controlled by PM Viktor Orban’s Fidesz passed a law banning any mention of homosexuality or related topics in schools with pupils under 18.
The law has been condemned by the leaders of most EU countries, and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen described it as shameful.
In July 2022, the EC referred Hungary to the European Court of Justice to quash the law, a move that could see the country stripped of some EU funding.
The EC says that the law, which Budapest presents as protecting schoolchildren against sexual abuse, is in violation of several EU rules.
The EC said last year that while child protection is an absolute priority for the EU and its member states, the Hungarian law includes measures that are not justified within this aim and are inappropriate for achieving it. Furthermore, the Hungarian law violates the fundamental rights of EU citizens and the rules of the EU’s internal market.
The EC lawsuit has since been joined by the European Parliament, as well as the governments of Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
“I am sorry that the Czech Republic is not going to join the European lawsuit against the Hungarian anti-LGBTQI+ law. We, the Pirate Party, will not give up on this issue. Children are not threatened by seeing such characters on TV or in books. They are threatened by artificially inciting hatred or suppressing information,” Lipavsky wrote yesterday.
