Law, now vetoed, encouraged citizens to denounce homosexuals or transsexuals. This is the first time that Novák, who is very close to Orbán, has vetoed a law approved by the government majority.
Hungarian President Katalin Novák has vetoed a new law that allows citizens to anonymously report people who question the definition of family or marriage laid out in the country’s constitution.
The “defense of the Hungarian lifestyle” law, recently passed in parliament, may encourage citizens to denounce homosexuals or transgender people for not sharing the government’s values, the online newspaper 444 reports today.
“The instruments of the legislation are debatable and could increase the mistrust of the members of society,” justified the President, announcing on Friday night that she decided not to sign the document presented.
Some of its provisions were criticized in the international press, such as a new attack by the prime minister, the ultranationalist Viktor Orbán, on the LGBTQ+ community.
This is the first time that Novák, who is very close to Orbán, has vetoed a law approved by a two-thirds majority of the government of the seats held in parliament by the conservative Fidesz party. The head of state’s refusal does not mean, however, that the controversial law, which must now return to the Chamber, cannot end up approved.
The legislation foresees three possibilities: the total withdrawal of the project, its modification or the remission to the President without alterations. In the latter case, Novák would have no choice but to approve it.
As drafted, the text provides for the right to anonymity for all those who also file complaints in other areas, such as corruption or crime, but does not specify the consequences of any complaint.
With a majority of Orbán’s Fidesz, the Hungarian parliament approved a constitution in 2011 that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
In July 2022, the European Commission (EC) brought Hungary before the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) over controversial legislation that prohibits talking about sexual orientation in schools and in the media, described as homophobic by many internal critics and from outside the country. .
So far, a total of 15 member countries have joined the ruling, supporting Brussels’ position, while the Hungarian government filed a counterclaim with the CJEU last month.
Source: Observadora
