MEPs Challenge Commission’s Reluctance to Show at Budapest Pride

Sixty members of the European Parliament have expressed their “deep disappointment and concern” in an open letter that, according to information published in the press, the office of the President of the European Commission has asked commissioners not to attend this year’s Budapest Pride event.

In the letter published on the Brussels news portal Euractiv, addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, they wrote:

“For years now, the Hungarian government has been initiating an anti-LGBTIQ+ campaign, now culminating in a ban on the Budapest Pride. A ban that violates EU law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. These actions undermine the rule of law and fundamental rights, not only in Hungary, but also in Europe as a whole.“

The signatories of the letter called on the European Commission “to stand firmly and visibly on the side of citizens’ rights, EU law, equality, freedom of assembly, and human rights.”

The reports that the President’s office discouraged Commissioners from attending Budapest Pride and upholding EU values and rights would mean that the European Commission is failing to fulfill its duties and is not acting as the guardian of the Treaties,”

warned the signatories of the letter.

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In their view, this is not only a sign of weakness, but also a lack of solidarity with EU citizens who are fighting for their fundamental rights. The MEPs said that the EU cannot remain silent in the face of violations of the law and cannot back down out of fear of conflict with the Hungarian government.

“Silence and inaction in the face of injustice amount to complicity,” they warned.

They called on the Commission’s President to “reconsider this position and to ensure that the Commission is visibly present at Budapest Pride, standing alongside those who continue to defend democracy, rule of law and equality in Hungary and across Europe.”

“Now, more than ever, the LGBTIQ+ community, civil society, human right defenders and all those who believe in freedom and dignity for all need to see that the European Union is truly their ally, not just in words, but in action,” the MEPs concluded their letter.

The open letter comes shortly after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly addressed the allegation, clarifying that she had not instructed commissioners to avoid attending Budapest Pride.

Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, responsible for the EU’s rule of law mechanisms, told Euractiv’s The Capitals that he is “not in a position” to attend Budapest Pride but added that they are “not ruling out the possibility of pursuing” the measures requested by the MEPs.

While strong words, open letters, and concerned tones continue to flow from Brussels, it remains uncertain who, if anyone from the Commission, will actually walk the parade route.

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Via MTI, Euractive; Featured photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert

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