He added that “the so-called child protection law breaches EU law on a number of accounts”.
Speaking at a plenary session of the European Parliament, Michael McGrath noted that “the right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in the Charter” of the EU, adding that “our union is founded on freedom and equality, everyone should be able to … live freely and love whom they choose.” He said nobody should be afraid to participate in a Pride march.
According to the commissioner, the Hungarian law was in contravention with EU law in terms of children’s rights, respect for human dignity, the principle of non-discrimination as well as the rights to free expression and privacy. He also added that the Hungarian law was in breach of the bloc’s fundamental values.
“We are a union of equality … the European Union is ready to use all its tools to ensure that EU law is asserted all across our union,” the commissioner said.
Kinga Gál, the head of the MEP group of Hungary’s ruling parties, said the plenary was “not about asserting fundamental rights but a political witch hunt … against Hungary which has been under way for years”.
According to her, “the rule of law is being used to exert political pressure because Hungary has a sovereigntist, conservative government, which would not subject itself to Brussels’ expectations, and will bravely promote the national interests as against the diktats of the mainstream.”
“We will say no to war, we won’t support Ukraine’s forced EU entry and will protect our borders against illegal migration … currently our greatest crime in the eye of the left-liberal camp is that we will stand up for the protection of our children against the gender lobby,” she said.
Klára Dobrev, MEP of the opposition Democratic Coalition, said the EP’s right-wing parties “think they could lose votes if they talk about LGBTQ rights,” adding that the European Commission’s right-wing leader “does not dare to request immediate intervention to save Budapest Pride”.
“What they often refer to as realpolitik … is nothing more than cowardice,” she said.
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