โSheโs pretty much aloneโ: The EUโs greenest leader fights the tide
The European Commissionโs second most powerful politician is isolated, beleaguered and under attack โ just like the green policy she has vowed to protect.
LGBTQ+ rights
The success of Budapest Pride hurt Orbรกn โ but be warned, Europeโs far right is coming for all of our rights | Gordon Cole-Schmidt
Huge crowds defied a ban to party on Saturday, yet authoritarians across the continent are targeting LGBTQ+ people to spread divisionAn animal is at its most dangerous when it is wounded, and the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbรกn, was already haem…
The Guardian view on Budapestโs pride parade: a humiliation for Orbรกn and a triumph for European values | Editorial
Trailing in the polls, Hungaryโs prime minister resorted to his polarising playbook by attempting to impose a ban. Mass defiance suggests a shift in the political zeitgeistIn late 1980s Hungary, courageous environmental protests against an unpopular da…
Monday briefing: How Budapest Pride became a huge show of anti-Orbรกn defiance
In todayโs newsletter: Hungary has relentlessly cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights โ but banning Pride proved a step too far, as European politicians joined its biggest ever crowdGood morning. In 1997, Budapest became the first capital in central and easter…
Pride marches held worldwide in support of LGBTQ+ communities โ video
Pride parades took place across the world over the weekend in support of LGBTQ+ rights. From New York to Madrid, marchers filled the streets with music and calls for equality. Many carried messages of protest, highlighting ongoing discrimination a…
Turkish police arrest more than 50 people before banned Istanbul Pride parade
Cityโs bar association says people โdeprived of their liberty through arbitrary, unjust, and illegal detentionโPolice arrested more than 50 people in Istanbul on Sunday ahead of a banned LGBTQ+ Pride march, the cityโs bar association said.โBefore today…
Tens of thousands defy Hungaryโs ban on Pride in protest against Orbรกn
Crackdown on Pride is part of effort to curb democratic freedoms ahead of a hotly-contested election next yearTens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Budapest in defiance of the Hungarian governmentโs ban on Pride, heeding a call by th…
Pro-LGBTQ+ yet anti-abortion: What’s behind Malta’s differing stances?
The tiny Mediterranean island is one of Europe’s most progressive on LGBTQ+ rights, but at the same time, it has a near-total ban on abortion. What is the reason for this dissonance?
By banning the Budapest Pride march, Viktor Orban is trying to divide his opposition
The French ambassador for LGBTQ+ rights, around 60 MEPs and the European commissioner for equality are expected to take part in Saturday’s Pride event in Budapest. Peter Magyar, the opposition leader vying to succeed Viktor Orban in 2026, has withheld …
Crowds gather for Budapest Pride march despite Orbรกnโs threat of โlegal consequencesโ โ as it happened
Organisers of Budapest Pride said the government was attempting to restrict peaceful protests by targeting themJeff Bezos and Lauren Sรกnchez are preparing for the last party of their three-day wedding festivities in Venice as demonstrators mobilise for…
Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbรกnโs rollback of rights
Record numbers expected at march despite Hungaryโs leader saying those attending will face โlegal consequencesโRecord numbers of people are expected to take part in Budapest Pride on Saturday, with Hungarians joining forces with campaigners and politic…
Orbรกn vs von der Leyen: Budapest Pride takes center stage in Europeโs culture war
Dozens of prominent European politicians are heading to Hungary for Pride, but the country’s conservative government insists the parade is illegal.
Mayor will โcome up with plan Cโ if police try to impose ban on Budapest Pride
Leader says LGBTQ+ march in Hungarian capital will go ahead despite Viktor Orbรกnโs governmentโs rulingThe mayor of Budapest has vowed to go ahead with the cityโs Pride march next weekend, declaring he will โcome up with a plan Cโ even if the police try…
EU commissioner set to attend Budapest LGBTQ+ festivities in jab at Orbรกn
The Hungarian government has moved to try to ban Pride under the pretext of protecting children.
Dozens of MEPs to attend Budapest Pride in defiance of Viktor Orbรกn
As many as 70 said to be planning to show solidarity at LGBTQ+ march after Hungaryโs PM tried to ban itDozens of MEPs are expected to attend the Pride march in Budapest later this month, in defiance of the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbรกn, who ha…
Hungaryโs crackdown on LGBTQ+ content violates human rights, says EU lawyer
ECJ advocate general condemns โstigmatisingโ law that bars such content from schools and primetime TVThe Guardian view on Hungaryโs anti-LGBTQ+ lawsA Hungarian law banning content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and primetime TV has been found to viol…
Hungaryโs anti-LGBTQ+ rules breach EU law, top court adviser says
Legal opinion bolsters EU’s challenge against Viktor Orbรกn’s conservative culture war.
Polandโs Tusk gets Trumped
New President Karol Nawrocki will act to stymie PM Donald Tusk’s attempts at reform.
Far right weaponising LGBTQ+ rights in Europe to sow division, campaigners say
At the start of Pride month, groups report rise in hate crimes as politicians use laws and speeches to target trans people in particularFar-right politicians in Europe are weaponising LGBTQ+ rights and sowing divisions that are sending hate crimes soar…
How to watch the Polish presidential election like a pro
The decisive vote will have a dramatic impact far beyond the country.
Between a smack and a hard place โ Poland votes, Orbรกn provokes, and Brussels shows its teeth
Slaps were exchanged โ some literal, some political โ and suddenly Brussels isnโt just watching from the sidelines. This week on EU Confidential, we dive into a whirlwind of action across the continent: a presidential toss-up coming up this Sunday in Poland; Brussels turning up the pressure on Hungary over LGBTQ+ rights; and the EUโs [โฆ]
Polandโs rule of law โis on the ballotโ in Sundayโs presidential election
Incumbent President Andrzej Duda has been able to block most of the government’s efforts to restore the rule of law. That could change after Sunday’s vote.
The Guardian view on Hungaryโs anti-LGBTQ+ laws: Europe must stand up for its values | Editorial
New legislation allowing the annual Budapest Pride celebration to be banned contravenes basic rights. Brussels needs to draw a line in the sandAccording to article 2 of the treaty of the European Union, the EU is founded on respect for human dignity in…
The Venus Effect review โ a sizzling queer romcom without the cliches
A funny, heart-on-sleeve Danish drama that cleverly captures the complexities of coming out and queer identity with a character that wonders: am I gay enough to be gay? Technically, this film is a romcom โ in that it is funny and romantic. But itโs not…
Which European countries are the most and least progressive when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights?
A new ranking shows how European countries are progressing when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, with the UK and Hungary seeing the biggest drops.
EPPโs war on NGOs is driving a wedge through Europeโs political center
Conservatives face accusations of collaborating with far-right parties in NGO funding probe.
Trumpโs first 100 days supercharged a global โfreefall of rightsโ, says Amnesty
World now in era of repressive regimesโ impunity, climate inaction and unchecked corporate power, says reportThe first 100 days of Donald Trumpโs presidency have โsuperchargedโ a global rollback of human rights, pushing the world towards an authoritari…
Why Gen Z cares about the next pope โ and what it says about the Church
For the first time, Conclave is cool. But what does this surge in interest reveal about the relationship between the young and one of the worldโs oldest institutions?
The global south has lost its pope. The world has lost its conscience | Nathalie Tocci
He was no liberal, but Francis embodied a spirit of international solidarity that is in alarmingly short supplyPope Francis died hours after meeting the US vice-president, JD Vance. If that wasnโt a bad enough omen, the Republican congresswoman Marjori…
Viktor Orbรกnโs latest clampdown bans Budapest Pride โ but he wonโt stop us marching
Elected leaders from across Europe should join us on the streets. It is critical to democracy โ in Hungary, and the EU as a wholeHungaryโs parliament has given Viktor Orbรกn the tools to do what he has long threatened: ban Pride, silence dissent and str…
MEPs call for EU court to suspend Hungaryโs Pride ban
Visiting delegation find โhostile atmosphereโ for LGBTQ+ people and say country heading in โwrong directionโA delegation of EU lawmakers visiting Hungary has called on Europeโs top court to suspend a new law banning Budapest Pride, as they criticised a…
Thousands take to the streets in Hungary as the country bans LGBTQ+ gatherings โ video
Thousands of people took to the streets of Hungary’s capital, Budapest, on Monday to mock and protest a constitutional amendment which passed through the country’s parliament banning LGBTQ+ gatheringsHungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ…
Hungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ+ gatherings
Amendment also enshrines recognition of only two sexes, providing basis for denying gender identitiesHungarian lawmakers have voted through a controversial constitutional amendment that campaigners described as a โsignificant escalationโ in the governm…
Budapest Pride: banned? – Banning Pride as a violation of EU free movement
Attila Szabรณ, LLM in European law, Head of Legal Aid Service, Hungarian Civil
Liberties Union
The author would
like to thank Steve Peers and Mรกtรฉ Szabรณ, HCLU’s professional director, for
their ideas for the text!
Photo credit: Tรฉteles…
Russia bans Elton John Aids Foundation over its support for LGBTQ+ rights
Designation as โundesirable organisationโ exposes nonprofitโs staff and partners to possible criminal prosecutionRussian authorities on Thursday banned the Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF), which focuses on HIV/Aids prevention, citing its support for …
โWe wonโt be deterred or scaredโ: Hungaryโs LGBTQ+ community fights for right to march in Pride
Some want to oppose ban, others are nervous, but all see it as a warning sign under Viktor Orbรกnโs governmentMarching with a pink, white and baby blue transgender flag, Corvus gathered with thousands of others in a central square of Budapest this week….
Netherlands tightens US travel advice for LGBTQ+ people
German and Finnish authorities have taken similar steps, and Belgium is planning to do the same, as the Trump administration removes some protections for sexual minorities.
Denmark and Finland urge caution for US-bound transgender people
Travel advice updated amid reports of ordeals at US border after Trump said country would only recognise two gendersDenmark and Finland have updated their US travel advice for transgender people, joining the handful of European countries that have soug…
Smoke bombs ignited as Hungarian parliament passes law banning Pride events โ video
Hungarian lawmakers passed a law on Tuesday banning Pride events and allowing authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders, continuing a crackdown by prime minister Viktor Orbรกnโs rightwing populist party on the countryโs LGBTQ+…
Hungary bans Pride events and plans to use facial recognition to target attenders
Amnesty International describes legislation as โfull-frontal attackโ on countryโs LGBTQ+ communityMPs in Hungary have voted to ban Pride events and allow authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them, in…
Hungarian parliament passes a bill banning Pride events
The amendment to Hungary’s ‘child protection’ legislation, making it an offense to hold events for LGBTQ+ rights, passed with 136 votes in favor to 27.
How many legal parents can a child have? The Dutch are asking the question | Mark Smith
In our rainbow family, there are two dads and a mum โ but the law in the Netherlands only recognises two of usOur daughter is very much on board with the idea that, unlike her, many other five-year-olds donโt have two fathers and a mum. โOnly has one d…
Hungary rebuked by EU court over trans refugeeโs gender status
Iranian transgender man had been seeking to correct Hungary’s asylum register which listed him as a woman.
Trump and Putin gang up on European centrists in Romaniaโs election crisis
Elon Musk slams Romanian authorities for banning far-right frontrunner Cฤlin Georgescu. Itโs another win for the Kremlin.
Orbรกn announces Hungarian poll on Ukraine joining the EU
PM says he will “collect the opinion of the people” in a mail-in campaign that critics have derided as a propaganda tool.
Budapest Pride should be held in closed venue for โchild protectionโ, says Orbรกn official
Prime ministerโs chief of staff says event this year should be taken off streetsHungaryโs Budapest Pride should be held in a โclosed venueโ this year rather than on a city centre avenue as in previous years, the prime minister, Viktor Orbรกnโs, chief of…
LGBTQ+ community in Germany rally against rise of far right ahead of elections
Community grapples with fear over โproliferation and normalisation of anti-queer and anti-trans sentiment in politics and the mediaโThey poured on to streets across Germany by the thousands, waving rainbow flags and signs that read โChoose Loveโ. Days …
What is DEI and why is Trump opposed to it?
What the pushback against a more equal society could mean for a world fraught with power imbalancesWhen American voters headed to the ballot box in November, polls suggested the cost of living, immigration and reproductive rights ranked among their big…
Orbรกnโs lockdown orgy acolyte returns in bid to save face
Former MEP Jรณzsef Szรกjer, a close ally of the Hungarian PM, tells POLITICO he wants to show he’s more than just a meme.
Gay men can train as priests but must be celibate, say Italian bishops
Move marks shift in views but sexually active gay men will not be admitted to Roman Catholic seminariesGay men will be allowed to train as priests in Roman Catholic seminaries, so long as they observe celibacy, according to new guidelines announced by …
Polandโs PiS hopes its underdog presidential candidate defeats the odds
The two lead candidates are sparring over who has the ear of ordinary Poles.
Lionel Messi, Bono among US Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees
The honorees include Hillary Clinton, Lionel Messi and Anna Wintour.
Who We Love review โ queer teenโs Dublin awakening is Euphoria with Guinness
A schoolgirl bullied over her sexuality heads to the city with her wise-cracking gay best friend in this overcooked but heartfelt dramaIn the outskirts of modern-day Dublin, teenage Lily (Clara Harte) looks on the outside like a kid on top of the world…
How Putin won the Romanian election
Voters on NATOโs eastern flank were already ripe for Moscowโs manipulation, after decadesย ofย misrule.
US conservatives look to an unlikely ally in court battle over transgender rights: Europe
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Wednesday over Tennesseeโs law banning transition-related medical care for minors.
The Guardian view on protests in Georgia: resisting a drift into Putinโs orbit | Editorial
The Georgian Dream governmentโs suspension of EU talks has sparked an existential struggle for democracyIn recent years, Georgiaโs ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has brazenly pursued a policy of gaslighting an overwhelmingly pro-European population. …
Unprecedented protests sweep Georgia after government scraps EU bid
The European Parliament has called for elections to be rerun amid claims of irregularities and intimidation.
US suspends strategic partnership with Georgia after EU membership talks halted
The State Department also condemned the โexcessive use of force by policeโ after thousands of Georgians protested the halting of EU accession negotiations.
Protests in Georgia as poll commission confirms pro-Russia ruling partyโs win
Head of the Central Electoral Commission was doused with black paint as hundreds of opposition supporters staged a protest against the vote.
โInhumane and wickedโ: anguish over Italyโs expanded surrogacy ban
Most who seek surrogacy overseas, which is now punishable by jail terms and fines, are heterosexual couples Maria Sole Giardini was campaigning outside the Italian parliament in 2021 for surrogacy to be legalised when she encountered Giorgia Meloni.The…
US โconcernedโ for citizens after Meloniโs surrogacy ban in Italy
Washington fears that parents of children born through the procedure will not be recognized.
The anonymous, anything-goes forum at the heart of the Pelicot rape case
Before it was shut down this year, the illicit and unmoderated chat site Coco had been implicated in killings, child sexual abuse and homophobic attacksThe trial of a 71-year-old man has gripped France and horrified the world after he admitted to repea…
The EUโs most pointless job
Josep Borrell loves to condemn things โ sometimes in the “strongest possible terms.” Does it ever have any impact?
Georgia ratifies law curbing LGBTQ+ rights despite president’s opposition
The law, which includes bans on same-sex marriages, was approved by parliament before being opposed by pro-European President Salome Zourabichvili.
Georgia signs into law measures curbing LGBTQ+ rights
Passed by the speaker of Georgia’s parliament on Thursday, the controversial ‘family values’ bill puts homosexual relations on a par with ‘incest.’ It also bans gender transition, adoption by gay and transgender people, and nullifies same-sex marriages…
Georgian president refuses to sign anti-LGBTQ+ rights bill into law
Salome Zourabichvili opts not to advance bans on same-sex marriages and on adoptions by same-sex couplesGeorgiaโs president has refused to sign into law a bill aimed at severely curtailing LGBTQ+ rights, weeks after the controversial legislation was pa…
Georgia president refuses to sign bill curbing LGBTQ+ rights
Denounced by rights groups, the bill is widely expected to be passed into law by the parliament’s speaker. It would ban gender transition, adoption by gay and transgender people, and nullify same-sex marriages performed abroad.
Meloniโs street protest crackdown prompts concerns of growing repression in Italy
Beefed-up anti-protest laws take aim at climate activists and allow nonviolent protesters to be jailed.
Russia could do deal with Georgia over occupied regions, hints foreign minister
Talk of an agreement over Abkhazia and South Ossetia comes as the ruling Georgian Dream party pushes friendly ties with the Kremlin.
Georgian activists fear rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime after trans model murdered
Kesaria Abramidze was murdered inside her apartment last Wednesday, a day after the government passed a sweeping measure severely restricting LGBTQ+ rights.
Macronโs old guard spooked by new governmentโs rightward shift
New ministers’ stances on immigration and social issues appear to break with some of their predecessors’ worldview.
Georgian trans model murdered after parliament passes โanti-LGBTQ+โ law
Tributes paid to Kesaria Abramidze, as ruling party and allies are accused of state campaign against minoritiesA well-known Georgian transgender model has been murdered, local officials said, a day after the government passed legislation that will imp…
EU foreign policy chief urges Georgia to retract bill restricting LGBTQ+ rights
The EU has already warned Georgia’s government that its membership bid has been ‘de facto halted’ as it advances a string of measures that run counter to European values.
Georgia passes controversial bill restricting LGBTQ+ rights
Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday approved legislation that ‘concerns restricting, in educational institutions and TV broadcasts, the propaganda of same-sex relationships and incest,’ a measure that echoes laws adopted in neighboring Russia.
โNot our traditionโ: calls in Sweden to ban fathers walking brides down the aisle
Popularised by Hollywood and the wedding of the crown princess, the patriarchal โhandoverโ is catching on. Now Lutherans want to stop itFrom equal parental leave and an almost gender-balanced parliament to pole position in the EUโs gender equality inde…
Georgiaโs ruling party wants to outlaw the opposition
Georgian Dream looks to shut down party founded by former leader Mikheil Saakashvili.
Russia on mpox: No risk due to our โtraditional valuesโ
Russian official laughs off threat of disease formerly known as monkeypox.
Bulgariaโs new anti-LGBTQ+ law is official. Opponents beg EU to take action.
The legislation triggered protests across the country and condemnation from human rights groups.
Rights groups slam Bulgaria for banning LGBTQ+ โpropagandaโ
The law mirrors similar legislation passed in Russia and Hungary in recent years.
Your Tim Walz policy guide: Where he stands on abortion, unions, energy and more
The Minnesota governor may bring rural appeal but his policies reflect a progressive agenda.
The Paris Olympics may look fair and inclusive on TV. The truth is much darker | Rokhaya Diallo
From a headscarf ban for French athletes to social cleansing in the capital, these Games rest on a foundation of injusticeThe Paris Olympics opening ceremony was a stunning spectacle for global audiences, projecting an image of a proudly inclusive and …
Meloni was on her best behavior โ now her mask is starting to slip
The Italian prime minister and her fellow euroskeptics now want to โchangeโ EU from within, extracting benefits while hollowing out its real spirit of unification.
My queer friends in Italy are so worn down by discrimination, they donโt notice it. Here’s why | Viola Di Grado
Giorgia Meloni is trampling what few rights the LGBTQ+ community has โ so many just feel grateful to be โtoleratedโI was chatting online the other day with a female friend who is undergoing IVF in Italy to have a child with her girlfriend. IVF for lesb…
Starmer praises Abbott and hails diverse Commons in first speech to parliament as PM โ UK politics live
Parliament the most diverse by race and gender the country has ever seen, says Starmer, with the largest cohort of LGBT+ MPs in the worldDowning Street has released a full version of what Keir Starmer said in his opening remarks to the metro mayors at…
What happens if Italy and Franceโs right-wing firebrands unite?
Once in office, Italyโs Giorgia Meloni moderated her positions. Will Marine Le Pen do the same?
Unease and fear in France as Marine Le Penโs National Rally leads in polls
Concern over agenda of far-right RN feeds undercurrent of division ahead of decisive second round result next SundayThe sense of unease loomed over Parisโ Pride parade on Saturday, hinted at by the banner reading: โThe far-right is the mortal enemy of …
With EU bid stuck, Georgia prays for Euro 2024 victory instead
Amid warnings of backsliding on key reforms, the ruling party is focusing on a different type of goal altogether.
Letโs be a bit more honest about what a โEuropean identityโ looks like
Emphasizing Europeโs โJudeo-Christianโ heritage and looking only to antiquity betrays the European project, excluding the various peoples and entities that shaped the Continent.
A bear attack in Slovakia reveals what the far right really wants
Across the globe, populists are rolling back efforts to save nature and the planet.
Georgiaโs pro-EU parties unite in bid to oust government
New declaration calls on the West to help ensure free and fair elections in wake of “foreign agent” law outcry.
Pope Francis has lost control of his liberal revolution
Trouble is brewing in the very regions that cradled the 16th-century Protestant Reformation.
US ambassador accuses Hungaryโs PM of using anti-LGBTQ โmachinery of fearโ
David Pressman describes personal experience in speech condemning Viktor Orbรกnโs legal and rhetorical attacksThe US ambassador in Budapest has accused the government of Hungaryโs far-right prime minister, Viktor Orbรกn, of using a โmachinery of fearโ to…
โI was shot in the leg back homeโ: the refugees reviving rural Spain
Depopulation can be a serious problem โ ultimately, a shrinking community canโt maintain its services. But asylum seekers are bringing ghost villages back to lifeWalther Valbuena, a journalist and drag artist, had to leave Colombia. His best friend, a …
First Pride march since Russian invasion takes place in Kyiv
Crowd dispersed by police after only 10 minutes and redirected to the subway due to threats from anti-LGBTQ+ groups, say organisersThe first Kyiv Pride march since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was stopped by police after travelling only a few …
Italy denies removing LGBTQ and abortion references from G7 declaration
Final communique omits references to protection of gender identity and sexual orientation, and to safe abortion accessItalyโs far-right government has denied that it removed references to abortion and LGBTQ rights in the final declaration of the G7 sum…
Macron, Meloni clash over abortion rights at G7
Body language of the two leaders in Puglia also reflects tensions between them.
As the far right surges, Europe heads toward its Donald Trump momentย
If the polls are correct, this weekโs European Parliament election will reorder the Continentโs political landscape.
Georgia introduces Russian-style crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights
Proposal targets same-sex marriages, changing gender, and erasing public references to the community.
Vatican issues apology over Pope Francisโs โhomophobicโ slur
Statement says pontiff apologises โto those who felt offended by the term reported by othersโPope Francis has apologised for using an offensive slur during a discussion with bishops about admitting gay men into seminaries, saying he โnever intended to …
Georgiaโs other Russian-style law is fueling a bitter culture war
Proposed restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights have proven far harder for politicans at home and abroad to unite against than the governmentโs “foreign agent” bill.