Summit: Poland and Hungary oppose use of ‘gender equality’ in joint statement

Warsaw and Budapest have opposed the use of the term “gender equality” in the text of the joint statement to be adopted by European Union leaders in summit meeting Porto to promote social cohesion in the European Union. Their attitude, which annoyed Brussels, led to the removal of the term from the draft decision, according to APE.

In the text the original wording was “Gender equality”, but in its final form, European leaders are committed to promoting equality “For each person”.

The super-conservative, nationalist rulers Law and Justice Party (PiS) of Poland and the populist, Eurosceptic his ally and Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orban promote “traditional social values” and have repeatedly clashed with their western, liberal partners on the rights of women, homosexuals and immigrants.

Both governments promote universal, conservative social values ​​in their domestic politics combined with the strengthening of government control over the media, the functioning of justice and universities.

According to a European diplomat, Budapest and Warsaw’s objection to the term “gender equality” is explained by the fact that the expression “creates a margin for the rights of the LGBTQI community”, an issue in which the two governments of Eastern Europe are categorically opposed, as it could mean “the destruction of the social fabric of their Christian societies”.

Polish conservatives, in power since 2005, are fighting what they call the “LOATKI ideology” or “gender ideology”, which they say threatens to destroy the traditional family structure.

In Poland, the gay community is targeted by the Catholic Church, while “LOATKI ideology-free zones” have been declared by municipal authorities, prompting the European Commission to refuse to subsidize these municipalities.

Hungary has been stepping up its crackdown on the LGBTQI community since December through a package that defines a person as the sex of a person born at birth.

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