The European Commission sends an emission to Budapest Pride, the LGBT march challenged by Viktor Orbán – a new conflict with the Hungarian government
Budapest Pride generally gather tens of thousands of participants. Photo: Anna Szilagyi / AP / Profimedia
The organizers and the Budapest City Hall have assured that the march that the government would like to block will take place, as it was scheduled, on June 28. The European Commission is now coming to support the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary, writes Politico.
Hadja Lahbib European Commissioner will participate next week in Budapest Pride, the most important event in the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary, which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has tried to ban.
An official of the European Commission said that Lahbib can participate in the march on Saturday, June 28, if it is not forbidden, but that, in any case, Lahbib will meet with representatives of civil society and activists from Budapest the day before.
Orban's Hungary has promoted several laws that restrict LGBTQ+rights. In March, under the pretext of protecting children, the Hungarian government even took measures to ban Budapest Pride.
In a discussion with Hotnews, the organizers have announced that the event will take place, despite the Government measures.
“It is not the protection of children, it is fascism.” Forbidden by the Viktor Orban government, Budapest Pride, the LGBT march in Hungary, goes on / How things are seen in Romania
The town hall led by Liberal Gergely Karácsony announced on Monday that the march will be organized by the municipality, which, the official said, means that the police cannot stop it.
“It is time to show that we are proud of our freedom and to show that, in this city, no one can be a second -hand citizen,” said the mayor.
Many European officials go to Budapest
According to Politico, Lahbib will join the approximately 70 members of the European Parliament, including the President of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Iratxe García, President Renew Europe, Valérie Hayer, and Co -President Terry Reintke.
The Dutch Secretary of State for Education and several mayors in the big European capitals will also be present.
Lahbib's participation comes after weeks of pressure from European deputies and activists, who wanted the European Commission officials to be present. The EU executive remained silent in his position as objective intermediary of power between the member countries, writes Polito.
His participation in a forbidden event could cause a new crisis between Brussels and the Hungarian government, at a time when the President of the Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen, is trying to convince Orbán to accept the extension of sanctions against Russia and help for Ukraine.
At the end of May, most EU countries asked the Commission to sanction Hungary for its law that allows Budapest Pride to ban.
The European Commissioner for Justice, Michael McGrath, said during a parliamentary debate on Wednesday that the Commission is evaluating Orbán's law in accordance with EU law.
“Nobody has to be afraid of a PRIDE parade,” McGrath added.
