European Commission to sue Orban’s Hungary over anti-LGBT+ laws

Hungary will also be taken to court over a refusal to renew the licence of a radio station that is critical of the government

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP)

The European Commission has announced it will sue Hungary over a law that bans the use of educational content that it deems promotes LGBT+ matters.

The use of the materials in schools has been outlawed by Hungarian populist prime minister Viktor Orban, who presents himself as a staunch defender of traditional Christian values.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the commission, the EU’s executive arm, said the ban on such materials in schools was a “disgrace”.

The ban has also been criticised by a number of human rights groups and international watchdogs as discriminatory.

In Hungary, same-sex marriage is banned and it has also been impossible for someone to legally change their gender.

On Friday, the commission was also expected to announce that it would sue the eastern European nation over its refusal to renew the licence of Klubrádió, a broadcaster that is critical of the government.

The commission will sue Budapest at the EU’s top court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), over rejecting “on highly questionable grounds” Klubrádió’s airwaves application and discriminating against the station, sources have told the Reuters news agency.

Klubrádió now broadcasts only online after it was forced off air more than a year ago. Its guests are often critical of the government’s policies.

At the time the licence was refused, a government spokesperson claimed that there was no issue with media freedom in Hungary and it was not true that the station had been forced to shut down.

The commission and Hungary have often clashed over Orban’s policies, particularly those related to LGBT+ rights and the independence of its media and courts.

In April, the 27-nation bloc had launched proceedings to withhold billions of euros in aid to Hungary because of concerns about its use of EU money, alleged lack of proper anti-corruption procedures and alleged breaches of EU law.