Hungary will not change its LGBTI and asylum policies

"The Hungarian government will not change its policies, which the EU says are against the rights of LGBTI people and asylum seekers, even if this would lead to the freezing of billions of funds that the bloc has blocked in Budapest," a government minister said, reported Washington Post.
The EU has frozen funding for Hungary over concerns that it is failing to rein in state corruption and that it is undermining democratic values.
The release of these funds is tied to the implementation of reforms in Hungary that would bring it in line with the democratic standards of the EU.
Gergely Gulyash, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff, told a press conference that there were "limits" to reaching an agreement with the bloc's executive body, as changing policies on LGBTI rights and the right to asylum would go against the will of Hungarian voters.
"The Hungarian government is ready to reach an agreement with the Commission, but in cases where the people have clearly expressed their opinion," Gulász said in Budapest, adding that there were "red lines" when it came to the reforms Hungary was ready for. to do.
"For Hungary, despite the will of the European Commission, it is unacceptable to spread LGBTI propaganda among children, and we also cannot give up our position on migration issues," he added.
The EU opposes a Hungarian law passed in 2021 that bans the display of homosexual content to minors in media, including television, films, advertisements and literature.
The law, which has been condemned by human rights groups and foreign governments as discriminatory, also bans the discussion of LGBTI-related topics in school curricula and prohibits the public display of products depicting or promoting "gender distortion".
The Hungarian government also has a policy of turning away asylum seekers at its borders and requiring them to start the asylum process at the Hungarian embassies in Serbia and Ukraine, a practice that was ruled illegal last year by the EU's top court.
In December, the EU granted more than €10 billion to Hungary after it undertook reforms to ensure the independence of its judiciary, but more than €20 billion remains frozen pending further legal changes.
EC President Ursula von der Leyen announced that these funds "will remain blocked until Hungary fulfills all the necessary conditions". /BGNES