Abela joins EU leaders in letter of support for LGBTIQ rights

Leaders from 16 EU member states, including Malta, have expressed support for LGBTIQ rights in the wake of a controversial law passed in Hungary

Prime Minister Robert Abela (centre) has joined 15 other EU leaders in sending a letter to European Council President Charles Michel (right) and other presidents of the institutions to show support for LGBTIQ rights
Prime Minister Robert Abela (centre) has joined 15 other EU leaders in sending a letter to European Council President Charles Michel (right) and other presidents of the institutions to show support for LGBTIQ rights

Prime Minister Robert Abela has joined 15 EU leaders who declared support for defending the rights of LGBTIQ people after a controversial law passed in Hungary.

The joint letter addressed to the presidents of the European institutions was penned ahead of an EU summit that starts on Thursday.

The leaders deplored the “threats against fundamental rights, and in particular the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation”.

This was a veiled reference to the recently enacted law in Hungary, which bans LGBTQ educational content for children under 18. The controversial law was additionally part of a package of legal changes to strengthen punishments for paedophiles.

In a Facebook comment, Abela said the aim was to ensure that “Malta and the EU that allow future generations to live in an environment of tolerance and equality”.

“With our work as Team Malta we will make sure of remaining at the top where these rights are concerned,” Abela said.

The issue ended up on the agenda of EU politics this week when UEFA, Europe's football governing body, rejected a plan by Munich to light up its stadium in LGBTIQ rainbow colours for the Germany-Hungary match on Wednesday.

The controversy is likely to be raised during a summit working dinner in Brussels later on Thursday.

The signatories are the leaders of the following countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.