The Hungarian Parliament has approved constitutional changes aimed at LGBTIQ+ people and what the government calls “political pressure networks on the foreigner” that undermine the sovereignty of the country.
Since his return to power in 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has widely restricted the rights of the LGBTIQ+community, the media, the courts and the academy. In mid -March, he promised to undertake a “Easter cleaning” against his domestic opponents that he has called “stinky mistakes.”
Constitutional amendments, which proclaim that people can only be men or women, the echo moves on the genre of the ally of Orbán, the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
The vote, which was approved with 140 members who vote and 21 against Parliament on Monday, emphasizes the protection of children’s physical and moral development over all other rights.
It also allows the dispossession of “temporary” citizenship of some dual or multiple nationals, which could point to the Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, a regular accessory of populist conspiracy theories.
‘Soft Putinism’
Critics say that the proposed legal changes further erode democratic rights in the country of Central Europe, approaching the Member State of the European Union even closer to the type of authoritarianism witnessed by the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
Szabolcs Pek, chief analyst of the Iranytu Intezet expert group, said: “This soft putinism could be considered.”
“People are not falling out the window, but the government limits the space for politicians, journalists and civil society of the opposition.”
Orbán’s “legislative bullity” is an attempt to recover control of the public agenda, according to Pek.
Viktor Orbán, in power since 2010, faces an economy in difficulties and its strongest political challenge to the 2026 elections. Fountain: AAPA
The amendments support the legislation approved on March 18 that prohibits the annual progress of pride, effectively restricting the freedom of assembly and triggering protests against accelerated changes by the Fidesz Party of Orbán.
Fidesz said the event could be considered detrimental to children and protect them would replace the right to meet.
The LGBTIQ+ community has been an objective of the ruling party for years, said Pride’s organizers on their website.
They said that if the government party tries to prohibit a demonstration for the rights of people LGBTIQ+, there is no guarantee that they do not prohibit the peaceful protests of other groups.
For the latest SBS News, and .
