Social Issues

Eastern Europe avoids engaging in Orbán criticism over anti-LGBT law

Vienna, Jun 26 (EFE).- While the controversial anti-LGBT law in Hungary has caused an outcry in Western Europe, the former communist countries in the east have either backed the legislation or preferred not to comment.

In this region, many governments say they advocate for Christian and traditional values, while the west consider the Hungarian bill to clash with individual freedoms, including sexual identity, which define liberal democracies.

The Polish government, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s main ally within the European Union, has explicitly supported the law.

Polish president Andrzej Duda and prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki refused to sign an open letter backed by 17 EU leaders announcing the bloc will “continue to fight against discrimination towards the LGBTI community.”

Poland is the EU country that grants the least rights to the LGTBI community, according to a report published by the EU-funded, Brussels-based Rainbow Europe foundation.

Some 70% of the LGBTI community’s teenagers have had suicidal thoughts, according to the Campaign Against Homophobia Polish NGO.

Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa, also an ally of Orbán, denounced that the stormy EU outrage against Hungary aims at “imposing” LGBTI ideas in schools.

Jansa, who leads an unstable coalition, will assume the rotating presidency of the EU next week.

Croatia’s ruling HDZ conservative party adopted an equidistant stance to preserve the bloc’s unity.

“Remarks that do not contribute to unity, I think they possibly bring more concern among member countries,” said foreign minister Gordan Grlic Radman, considered to be close to the Hungarian government.

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