Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accuses the European Union of freezing funds for the recovery plan following the anti-LGBT + law promulgated by the Hungarian Parliament last June
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday accused the European Commission of blocking stimulus funds because of their disagreements over the rights of LGBT + people, days before the deadline. “The funds are loans that Brussels does not want to grant us because of the debate on our policy towards LGBT +”, declared the sovereignist leader, in an interview on the radio.
A law banning the promotion of homosexuality
Hungarian Parliament adopted legislative amendments in June banning “the promotion and representation of homosexuality” for those under 18. This text, presented by Orbán as an instrument for the protection of children, has aroused strong tensions with Brussels, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, describing it as “shame”.
The EU, for its part, asserts that its refusal to validate the recovery plan is unrelated to the law and points to other elements, such as the insufficient fight against corruption and the lack of independence of the judiciary. Submitted in Brussels on May 12, the Hungarian investment and reform plan, which allows Budapest to claim 7.2 billion euros in European subsidies, should have been the subject of a Commission decision on 12 July, at the end of the two months of examination provided for by the procedure. But the review period has been extended until the end of September.
An impossible exit from the EU
Earlier this week, the Hungarian government raised 4.5 billion euros in the financial markets, an unprecedented amount in a single day. Faced with “permanent challenges” posed by the EU, Viktor Orbán assured that his country had a solid financial base and “would defend its sovereignty”. Finally, despite the quarrels, he once again dismissed the idea of leaving the EU. “We will be among the last, if the Union were to cease to exist”, declared the Prime Minister, stressing “the importance for Hungary of access to the common market”.