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<h1><span style="color:rgb(15,36,62)">Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s reply to
Ursula von der Leyen's comments on the Hungarian child protection law</span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>23/06/2021</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://primeminister.hu/vikstories/prime-minister-viktor-orbans-reply-ursula-von-der-leyens-comments-hungarian-child-protection-law" target="_blank">https://primeminister.hu/vikstories/prime-minister-viktor-orbans-reply-ursula-von-der-leyens-comments-hungarian-child-protection-law</a></b></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(15,36,62)">The
communication of the President of the European Commission is a shame because it
is based on untrue claims. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(15,36,62)">The
recently adopted bill protects children’s rights, guarantees
parents’ rights, and does not apply to the rights related to sexual
orientation of persons over the age of 18, and as such does not contain any
discriminatory elements. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(15,36,62)">The
communication of the President of the Commission is a shame because the
Hungarian legislation is based on Article 14(3) of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:rgb(15,36,62)">The
communication of the President of the Commission is a shame because it
publishes a biased political opinion without an impartial investigation. <br>
</span>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<h1>‘A shame’: Von der Leyen vows EU will fight Hungary’s
anti-LGBTQ+ law </h1>
<p><span style="font-size:16pt">The European Commission president announced
initial legal steps in a bid to stymie the bill. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By <a href="https://www.politico.eu/author/florian-eder/" target="_blank">Florian
Eder</a> and <a href="https://www.politico.eu/author/hans-joachim-von-der-burchard/" target="_blank">Hans von
der Burchard</a> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>June 23, 2021 </span><span>10:12 am </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt"><a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/european-commission-legal-steps-hungarys-anti-lgbtq-law/" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/european-commission-legal-steps-hungarys-anti-lgbtq-law/</a></span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday announced initial <i>legal steps</i> against
Hungary’s new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, pledging to use “all the
powers of the Commission” to protect EU citizens’ rights.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“The Hungarian bill is
a shame,” von der Leyen said Wednesday morning in Brussels at <a href="https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-208216" target="_blank">a
press conference</a> with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, held to
discuss the approval of Belgium’s coronavirus recovery plan.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The controversial bill,
adopted by the Hungarian parliament last week, bans portraying homosexuality
and gender transitioning in content for minors. Sixteen countries have now <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/its-hungary-vs-everyone-after-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-euro-2020-viktor-orban/" target="_blank">endorsed a statement</a> asking the Commission to take action
against the law.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Von der Leyen on Wednesday
said she would do just, instructing two of her commissioners to write a letter
to the Hungarian government “expressing our legal concerns before the
bill enters into force.” Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders and
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton will prepare the memo. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“I strongly believe in
a European Union … where you are free to love who you want, and I believe
in a European Union that embraces diversity,” von der Leyen said.
“So I will use all the powers of the Commission to ensure that the rights
of all EU citizens are guaranteed, whoever you are and wherever you
live.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Von der Leyen’s
announcement marks a further escalation of tensions between Brussels and
Budapest, which are already locked in a fierce battle over Hungary’s
democratic backsliding. The EU has started Article 7 disciplinary proceedings
against Hungary over its concerns, but the process has been stalled for years.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has argued that Brussels
should not interfere in national political decisions, which he says should have
primacy over EU law, and blasted what he calls the <a href="https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/politico-brussels-playbook-macrons-disaster-orbans-trap-lukashenkos-wallet/" target="_blank">“Sovietization” of the EU</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Von der Leyen on Wednesday
stated explicitly that the Hungarian LGBTQ+ law violates the EU’s core
principles.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“This bill clearly
discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation and it
goes against all the values, the fundamental values, of the European
Union,” she said. “This is human dignity, it is equality and it is
the human fundamental rights. So we will not compromise on these
principles.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Von der Leyen’s remarks
were followed by applause in the audience, which was started by Thomas Dermine,
a Belgian state secretary responsible for the country’s recovery plan.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Later on Wednesday, the Hungarian
government struck back at von der Leyen, <a href="https://abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/official-government-statement-responding-to-the-comments-of-european-commission-president-ursula-von-der-leyen-on-hungary-s-child-protection-law" target="_blank">saying</a> it was her remarks — not the bill — that
are “a shame.” The government statement accused von der Leyen of
leveling attacks “based on false allegations” and pushing a
“biased political opinion without a previously conducted, impartial
inquiry.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The statement also insisted
the bill “protects the rights of children, guarantees the rights of
parents and does not apply to the sexual orientation rights of those over 18
years of age, so it does not contain any discriminatory elements.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Von der Leyen did not specify
what specific legal steps the Commission would take, but the most likely
scenario is that the Commission will launch an infringement procedure against
Hungary. The first step in such a process is to send Budapest a letter
expressing the EU’s protest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If Hungary does go forward
with the law, the Commission can formally order Hungary to stop the
bill’s implementation via an infringement procedure. Provided
Hungary does not comply with that request, the case could be sent to the
European Court of Justice. The court could then rule that Hungary must annul or
amend the law — and impose a financial penalty if Budapest does not obey.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">With the law not yet
implemented, though, the Commission is starting with a letter outlining its
objections. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“It’s a detailed
political letter that will set out our legal concerns with the law,” said
a Commission official. “We can only formally infringe once the law has
come into force, so we are warning the Hungarians that we will do so if they
don’t respond to our concerns.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Hungarian law has
attracted wider public attention across Europe and the world after UEFA,
Europe’s football governing body, forbade the city of Munich from
lighting its football stadium in rainbow colors when Germany plays Hungary on
Wednesday — itanism.”</span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Barbara Moens contributed
reporting.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""></span></p>
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