Hungarian Parliament adopts constitutional amendments against LGBTI community

The Hungarian Parliament has adopted, Tuesday 15 December, new legislation with constitutional amendments that will further remove the rights of LGBTI citizens in the country. The new bill was drawn up under Hungary's current state of emergency, initiated due of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield MEP, Greens/EFA rapporteur for the European Parliament on the situation in Hungary, comments:
 
"The amendments to the Fundamental Law mark yet another attack by Viktor Orbán and Fidesz in their assault on the rights of LGBTI people. The Hungarian government has already banned legal recognition for trans and intersex people and marriage for same-gender couples. Targeting vulnerable groups, such as LGBTI people, Roma people and asylum-seekers, has been one of the strategies of the Hungarian government to hasten Hungary's decline towards an autocracy. This has to end, Europe cannot stand by and watch as the rights of Hungarian citizens are being stripped away by their own government. 

"The European Commission, Council and other member states must prevent the Hungarian government from further dismantling the rule of law and fundamental rights. We are disappointed that the German Presidency has not moved forward on the Article 7 procedure against Hungary and has cancelled the hearing initially scheduled at the General Affairs Council of 8 December. The Article 7 procedure can only be effective with political willingness to implement it. The Greens/EFA group at the European Parliament calls on the next Council of the EU Presidencies, and in particular, Portugal, to include the rule of law as one of their priorities and to take effective action so that Hungary, Poland and any member states breaching the rule of law can be held accountable."