Things are heating up: Another EU country joins lawsuit against Hungary

Eleven countries and the European Parliament have joined the European Commission in its case against the Hungarian government. Germany’s involvement is still in question, and the deadline for countries to join is 6 April, today.

Finland, along with several other EU member states, has decided to join the European Commission in a European lawsuit against Hungary over its legislation on gay rights, a Finnish EU diplomat told Népszava.

This brings to 12 the number of countries condemning the Hungarian government’s policies. Among the EU member states, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the European Parliament have so far formally indicated their intention to strengthen the EC’s position in the case, the news portal says.

The question is whether Germany will join as the 13th country. According to the news portal, all the parties in Berlin’s governing coalition are in favour of the move. Now, the decision rests with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The deadline is 6 April, today.

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The Hungarian law prohibits, among other things, the portrayal of homosexuality, gender reassignment or “sexuality for one’s own sake” to people under 18. It may also restrict or exclude certain NGOs from sex education and other school programmes. The opposition and rights campaigners say the government deliberately conflates paedophilia with homosexuality, Index writes.

The summary of a lawsuit in which the European Commission is asking the EU judiciary to declare that Hungary has breached its obligations under EU law by adopting amendments to the law on “tougher action against paedophile offenders” and the “protection of children” was published in the EU’s official journal on 13 February.

Just days after the infringement procedure was launched, 18 EU Member States issued a joint statement. The declaration condemned legislative changes adopted under the guise of child protection that discriminate against LGBTIQ+ people.