The European Commission launched Thursday, July 15 infringement proceedings against Hungary over its law prohibiting the "
promotion
" of homosexuality among minors, and against Poland for "
zones without LGBT ideology
" decreed by certain communities local.
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The European executive, which denounces the discriminatory nature of these measures against LGBT + people, explained that it had sent the two countries a letter of formal notice.
This is the first step in a procedure which can lead to referral to the Court of Justice of the EU and then to financial sanctions.
Budapest and Warsaw have two months to respond.
“
Equality and respect for dignity and human rights are fundamental values of the EU, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.
The Commission will use all the instruments at its disposal to defend these values,
”she underlined in a press release.
"Zones without humanity"
Hungary passed a law on June 15 banning “
the representation or promotion
” of homosexuality and gender reassignment among minors.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called
the law that came into force last week
"
shameful
", but the Hungarian government has rejected criticism and demands from the EU executive.
In Poland, around a hundred local authorities have adopted since 2019 an “
anti-LGBT ideology
” resolution
or a “family
charter of rights
”.
They represent about a third of Polish territory and are located mainly in the south-east and east of the country, traditionally very Catholic areas.
These decisions had already led the Commission in July 2020 to deprive some of these municipalities of subsidies as part of a twinning program.
Ursula von der Leyen blasted “
areas without humanity
” which “
have no place
” in the EU, during her first State of the Union address to the European Parliament in September 2020.