Spain’s Minister of Equality has sparked accusations of foreign interference after she revealed plans to attend an alternative LGBT Pride event in Budapest and indicated that her ministry is considering legal action against Hungarian-style reforms in Spain’s own conservative-led regions.
Ana Redondo, a Socialist politician and member of Pedro Sánchez’s government, confirmed in an interview with Europa Press that Spain will be officially represented at the Budapest demonstration planned for June 28, despite the event being banned by Hungarian authorities under new legislation protecting minors from explicit and gender-ideological content.
“We are looking at the agenda, the government is going to be there,” Redondo said. “If I am not there in person, people from the team and probably the director general will be.”
The announcement comes amid rising tensions between Hungary and the European Union over LGBT-related laws. In March, Hungary’s National Assembly passed legislation prohibiting pornography, gender reassignment propaganda, and other content deemed inappropriate for minors. The law also allows authorities to ban public events that breach these rules, effectively outlawing Budapest’s annual Pride parade. Violators can face fines of up to 200,000 forints (€503), and penalties cannot be converted into community service.
Despite this, the mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, has vowed to press ahead with the parade, claiming it will be organized as a municipal event. “Budapest city hall will organize the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period. This ban has no value,” he claimed, calling the law a smokescreen to distract from Hungary’s economic situation.
However, critics have pointed out that Hungary’s financial challenges stem largely from the European Commission’s decision to freeze critical funding, a move many in Hungary see as politically motivated.
The Hungarian government has defended its laws as necessary to protect children and safeguard national values, and has received strong support domestically. Earlier this year, opposition politicians protested the law by setting off smoke bombs in parliament, resulting in hospitalizations and possible criminal charges. Yet the ruling Fidesz party passed the law with a resounding majority of 136 votes to 27.
In addition to showing support for the banned event in Budapest, Redondo has pledged to challenge right-wing reforms in Spain that mirror aspects of Hungary’s law. Her ministry is already planning to appeal to Spain’s Constitutional Court over amendments to the Valencian Community’s 2017 Trans Law, passed with support from the center-right Partido Popular and the populist Vox party.
Redondo previously succeeded in overturning similar changes in Madrid, and said she would now seek to do the same in Valencia. “We appealed for unconstitutionality to the Madrid law, the Court found in our favor, and we are now studying the appeal of unconstitutionality against the Valencian law,” she stated.
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