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23 Jun, 4 tweets, 3 min read
Commission President @VonDerLeyen has responded to the 14 (rumoured to soon be 15) EU countries asking for legal action against #Hungary for its anti-LGBT law.

But she doesn't say whether Charter of Fundamental Rights could be the basis.
What made the difference to push the Commission toward legal action? Two things, I think:

🇮🇹 Italy changing its mind and signing the statement
😲 Shock at some of the things said by the Hungarian justice minister yesterday
Not to be outdone, President Michel will put the issue of Hungary's anti-LGBT law on the agenda of tomorrow's #EUCO summit of prime ministers and presidents in Brussels, according to an EU official.
EP President @DavidSassoli has written to EC President @VonDerLeyen reminding her of parliament's 10 June resolution saying if Commission doesn't take #Hungary to the EU Court of Justice for rule of law violations, parliament will take EC to the court.
europarl.europa.eu/the-president/…

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More from @DaveKeating

Dave Keating Profile picture
24 Jun
Entering #EUCO summit, #Orban is asked by reporters about #Hungary's law forbidding mentioning homosexuality to people under 18.

"We don't have that kind of law, we have the law on defending the rights of the kids and the parents."

"It's not about homosexuality". Image
"I am a fighter for [#LGBT] rights," #Orban insists. "I was a freedom fighter in the Communist regime."

"Homosexuality was punished, and I fought for their freedom and their rights. So I am defending the rights of the homosexual guys. But this law is not about that." Image
Asked if he would withdraw the law, #Orban says, "the law is published, it's done".

Asked whether he will defend the law at this summit he says, "it's not on the agenda". Reminded that it will be brought up, he says he's ready to defend it to the other EU leaders.
Read 4 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
24 Jun
Following yesterday's letter signed by Europe ministers asking the Commission to take legal action against #Hungary's anti-LGBT law, 16 prime ministers and presidents will sign a similar letter this morning ahead of today's #EUCO discussion on the matter. politico.eu/newsletter/bru…
“We have to be intolerant to intolerance," Luxembourg's openly gay prime minister Xavier Bettel told Politico.

"A member state makes laws that stigmatize a sexual minority and that mix up pedophilia and homosexuality — you can’t let that pass."
Politico reports the letter has been signed by:

Merkel 🇩🇪, Macron 🇫🇷, Draghi 🇮🇹, Sánchez 🇪🇸, Bettel 🇱🇺, De Croo 🇧🇪, Rutte 🇳🇱, Marin 🇫🇮, Löfven 🇸🇪, Frederiksen 🇩🇰, Kallas 🇪🇪, Kariņš 🇱🇻, Martin 🇮🇪, Mitsotakis 🇬🇷, Anastasiades 🇨🇾, and Abela 🇲🇹.

Missing: Kurz 🇦🇹, Nausėda 🇱🇹.
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
23 Jun
Here it is - EU Commission unveils legal strategy to try to stop #Hungary's new anti-LGBT laws.

They cite violations of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, but not only that. Also the Audio-Visual Media Services Directive, E-Commerce Directive and Articles 35 & 56 of TFEU.
This was a remarkably fast turnaround for this 1st step of taking Hungary to the Court of Justice and reflects the urgency President @VonDerLeyen spoke of this morning, wanting to stop the laws before they enter force in Hungary.
I have no doubt that this legal action would not be happening today were it not for the statement coordinated by the BENELUX yesterday, and #Italy's signature last night was crucial (plus EP's legal threat against EC).

17 of 27 EU countries now demanding Commission stop Hungary.
Read 6 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
23 Jun
After ferocious blowback in Austria, the government has this morning backtracked on its refusal to sign yesterday's statement condemning Hungary's anti-LGBT law.

(In fact that brings total signatories to 15, Italian government also changed its mind last night)
And now Greece as well.

All eyes on Cyprus and Malta.
ekathimerini.com/news/1163291/g…
Here is the updated map of which EU countries have signed the statement condemning #Hungary's anti-LGBT law and asking the Commission to take legal action against Budapest to stop it.
Read 4 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
23 Jun
Breaking: EU VP @MargSchinas says the Commission got tough with the United States in talks yesterday, demanding reciprocity on ending #TravelBans.

"They were receptive...so we’re hopeful we will have good news on that soon," he says. "It's now up to them"
#LoveIsNotTourism
"We very much insisted that the ‘America is back’ narrative and the revival of the transatlantic partnership should not be reserved to politicians, officials, diplomats and generals," Schinas says.

#Biden must also restart people-to-people contacts.
"We told them Europe is the most vaccinated continent in the world today," says Schinas. "We have in record time produced an EU #Covid19 certificate that testifies in a very accurate way that a traveller is not a risk to others."

(US doesn't have a national vaccine certificate)
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
22 Jun
These are the EU countries that have not joined the condemnation of #Hungary’s law banning the mentioning of homosexuality: 🇵🇱 🇬🇷 🇨🇾 🇮🇹 🇭🇷 🇸🇮 🇸🇰 🇨🇿 🇷🇴 🇧🇬 🇲🇹 🇦🇹 🇭🇺 🇵🇹 .

All countries that don’t have same sex marriage (except 🇵🇹 which maybe wants to be neutral during presidency).
To people who have been following these issues for a long time, there is little surprising in this split.

🇮🇹🇦🇹🇬🇷🇨🇾 remain the countries most hostile to LGBT rights in ‘western’ Europe, the Baltics have emerged as the countries least hostile to gay rights in ‘eastern’ Europe.
List of signatories now finalised (Latvia did sign on).

The letter, initiated by #Belgium, says Hungary's new laws represent "a flagrant form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and hence deserves to be condemned"
wilmes.belgium.be/en/thirteen-co…
Read 8 tweets

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