“I call on the Hungarian authorities to allow them to organize the Equality Parade in Budapest. It should take place without worrying about any criminal or administrative sanctions against organizers or participants,” wrote von der Leyen on Platform X.
“In Europe, the opportunity to fight for your rights is fundamental freedom. You have the right to love who you love and be exactly what you are” – she added in the recording attached to the entry.
At the beginning of June, the police in Budapest banned the organization of the equality parade planned for June 28. The justification of the decision indicated that “it cannot be ruled out that people under 18 would participate in an illegal march.” At the same time, new provisions were forbidden to prohibit “presenting or promoting” homosexuality among minors.
The organizers announce, however, that despite the ban, the parade will take place as planned, and the EU Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, announced its arrival in the Hungarian capital on June 28.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban responded to the entry of the head of the EC, appealing to von der Leyen to “refrain from interfering with the enforcement of law by the Member States, where there is no role to play.”
“I also call on a commission to focus on urgent challenges that the European Union faces – in areas where it has a clear mandate and responsibility, and in which serious mistakes have been made in recent years, such as the energy crisis or erosion of European competitiveness” – he wrote on X.
