Orbán targets LGBT community and dual nationals in new law
On Monday, April 14, Hungary adopted a new constitutional amendment that further restricts the rights of LGBT individuals.
Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who in March promised a “great Easter cleansing” targeting his political rivals—whom he disparagingly referred to as “bedbugs”—also pushed through legislation targeting citizens with dual nationality, branding them as “traitors to the nation.”
Experts from the European Commission have already warned that this is a measure “without precedent in international law.” However, Orbán appears to be mimicking a decree previously signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, as Hungary’s Constitution will now explicitly state that a person is defined as “either male or female.”
Another bill passed on Monday asserts the supremacy of children's right to appropriate physical, mental, and moral development over all other rights. This is being used to justify the government’s earlier decision to ban the Gay Pride parade, ostensibly in the name of “protecting children.”
The Orbán government has also targeted dual nationals, who are portrayed as threatening national security by meddling in domestic affairs “under the guise of so-called independent NGOs and media outlets.” According to the new legislation, the citizenship of a Hungarian national who holds another passport may be suspended—except in the case of EU citizens and nationals of other European countries. This suspension could last for up to ten years and may result in expulsion for those residing in Hungary.
Hungarian NGOs and legal experts in Brussels have condemned the measure as “unprecedented in international law.” As for opposition leader Péter Magyar—whose Tisza party is leading in several recent polls—he faces a delicate ideological and moral balancing act. A former senior public official long married to ex-Orbán minister Judit Varga, Magyar is a fierce critic of government corruption and poses an unprecedented challenge to the current administration.
However, in an effort to appeal to a traditionally conservative electorate, Péter Magyar has so far avoided taking a clear stance on LGBT rights.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
