Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban launches a fresh attack on the European Union for conducting an ‘LGBTQ offensive’

Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, launched a fresh critique against the European Union, accusing it of conducting an “LGBTQ offensive” and asserting that his nationalist government would protect Hungary’s Christian roots.

During his speech, Orban expressed his hope that the upcoming European parliament elections, scheduled for next year, would strengthen governments within the bloc that oppose the “federalism” exemplified by countries like Germany and France.

In 2021, Orban’s government passed a law prohibiting the use of materials deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change in schools, citing the need to protect children from “LGBTQ propaganda.” This action sparked a clash with the European Union.

Orban has previously been involved in conflicts with Brussels over various issues, including the rule of law and reforms to Hungary’s media and judiciary.

According to Orban, the European Union faces a choice between being an empire or a collection of individual nations. He cautioned that the EU’s federalists were attempting to marginalize countries like Hungary and Poland that resist ceding more powers to Brussels.

Orban claimed that the EU openly sought a change of government in Hungary in the 2022 elections, and similar aspirations now extend to Poland, where parliamentary elections are scheduled for the autumn. Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, aligned with Orban’s policies, will seek a third term.

Both Hungary and Poland have been engaged in a rule-of-law dispute with the EU, resulting in certain European Union funds being withheld.

Orban believes that the balance between federalist and anti-federalist nations shifted when Britain left the EU, and now only Hungary and Poland remain committed to their anti-federalist stance.

As Hungary faces economic challenges, Orban has intensified his anti-LGBT rhetoric. The country’s annual inflation rate exceeded 25% in the first quarter.

Accusing the EU of rejecting its Christian heritage, facilitating population replacement through migration, and promoting an LGBTQ agenda, Orban made his views clear during the speech on Saturday.