EU urges action against Hungarian bans on LGBTQ+ Pride parades despite government restrictions.
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The European Commission urged commissioners not to attend the LGBTQ+ Pride parades in Budapest this weekend, a statement reportedly circulated to avoid a negative reaction from the Hungarian government, which had previously banned the event. Activists plan to disregard the ban. While some European Parliament members and EU leaders intend to participate, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated there is no information regarding the attendance of Lithuanian representatives at the Budapest events. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the participation of diplomats is not regulated and they are not required to report their attendance. Despite this, the Ministry affirmed Lithuania’s support for peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, emphasizing that human rights and democracy are fundamental EU values that must be guaranteed for everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Several countries, including Lithuania, supported a statement urging Brussels to take action to prevent the ban on the Pride parades in Budapest. Critics, such as an Austrian EP delegate, argued that Hungary is moving towards an anti-democratic worldview and called for the EP to halt funding to Hungary. Activists and commentators expressed concern that the EU’s response to Hungary’s actions is insufficient, calling for real measures beyond mere statements to protect fundamental rights. The text also detailed that the Hungarian parliament banned the annual Pride parades, imposing fines and planning to use facial recognition technology to identify participants, citing a new interpretation of laws that claims the events violate “children’s interests.”
