by Matthieu Pollet, Politico
Viktor Orbán had banned mentions of homosexuality in media accessible to children and outlawed Pride marches.
Hungary violated EU law when it banned children from accessing LGBTQ+ content, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Tuesday, ordering Budapest to scrap the legislation.
The landmark judgment marks a blow to outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s legacy as his longtime rival Péter Magyar prepares to take office next month.
Hungary’s legislative crackdown on LGBTQ+ representation is in breach of a series of EU laws and “constitute[s] a particularly serious interference with several fundamental rights,” the Court said in a press release, siding with the infringement procedure originally lodged by the European Commission.
The case concerns Hungary’s 2021 law restricting or banning the “promotion” of homosexuality and gender transition in media accessible to children, which Budapest introduced when it adopted the EU’s audiovisual rulebook and its provisions on protecting children from harmful content.
The Commission ultimately referred the case to the court, backed by 15 member countries and the European Parliament.
“The Hungarian bill is a shame,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in 2021, vowing to use “all the powers of the Commission to ensure that the rights of all EU citizens are guaranteed, whoever you are and wherever you live.”
Despite that pressure, the Hungarian government pressed ahead. Last year, it banned Pride events and authorized police to use biometric cameras to identify organizers and attendees — deepening its standoff with the EU.