Will EU show of strength against Hungary deter anti-LGBTQ+ laws?
With 15 nations now backing a European Commission lawsuit over Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law, rights campaigners hope the case will serve as a powerful deterrent against similar legislation in other EU countries.
The infringement proceedings – joined this month by France and Germany – target a law passed in 2021 banning the use of materials seen as promoting homosexuality and gender change in schools.
Touted by the conservative government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as protecting children, the law caused a storm of international criticism, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling it a “disgrace”.
The Commission, which referred Hungary to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in mid-2022, has said it considers the law violates the EU’s internal market rules, the fundamental rights of individuals and EU values.
