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24 Jun, 7 tweets, 4 min read
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 🇱🇹.
The (mostly Western) leaders will press #Orban on this during dinner tonight.

Here's Orban's official response. He will say EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (which Commission is citing to stop the law) actually protects #Hungary's right to pass the law.
abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/…
Orban is citing article 14 (3) of the EU fundamental rights charter to defend #Hungary's law.

“The right of parents to ensure the education and teaching of their children in conformity with their religious, philosophical and pedagogical convictions shall be respected."
Meanwhile Orban's self-appointed status as king of the illiberal right is making him very popular.

Italy's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who heads ECR group (founded by David Cameron), wants Orban to join them. But Le Pen & Salvini want him to join ID. euractiv.com/section/politi…
Update: #Austria has again belatedly signed the letter. Just like Tuesday’s letter.

Not sure why the Austrian government is having so much trouble with this. Internal coalition conflict? politico.eu/article/16-eu-…

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More from @DaveKeating

Dave Keating Profile picture
25 Jun
Angela #Merkel confirms at her closing #EUCO press conference that part of her reason for wanting an EU summit with Putin was for EU sovereignty, to show #Biden’s summit wasn’t speaking for the EU.
Merkel asked other leaders thinking inviting Putin for a summit would be an undeserved reward.

Merkel notes that #Biden had a summit and “I did not have the impression it was a reward”

“It isn’t enough from European perspective to be debriefed about such talks by US President”
Merkel raises a good point.

It was expected these Eastern European leaders would loudly complain about #Biden’s summit at this month’s #NATO gathering. They didn’t, though they privately grumbled.

But when it comes to an EU-Putin summit, they were very vocally opposed. Why?
Read 5 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
25 Jun
"Everybody had tears in their eyes"

Dutch PM Mark Rutte told reporters about the emotional moment last night when Luxembourg's openly gay PM Xavier Bettel implored Viktor #Orban to think about the people he's hurting with his anti-LGBT law.
politico.eu/article/eu-lea…
Rutte confirmed that he invited #Orbán to take #Hungary out of the EU if the country doesn't want to conform to EU values.

He said there was "broad" and "fierce" criticism of Orban by other PMs, the most "forceful" internal condemnation he'd ever seen at an #EUCO summit.
Strikingly, #Orbán does not appear to have received support during the discussion from the Eastern European countries who declined to sign Tuesday's letter condemning the law.

They were quiet, with only #Poland and #Slovenia expressing support.
Read 4 tweets
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
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
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.
Read 4 tweets

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