Cyrus Engerer hits out at homophobic letter to MEPs from Viktor Orbán

Cyrus Engerer tells Viktor Orbán: Gay people will not rest until their rights are recognized across all member states  

Cyrus Engerer sent out his reacton to the Orban letter to all MEPs
Cyrus Engerer sent out his reacton to the Orban letter to all MEPs

Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer has written to Hungarian MEP Tamás Deutsch calling out a racist and homophobic letter sent out by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.  

On Wednesday, the right-wing party Fidesz resigned its membership in the European People’s Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, over an intra-party vote on suspending errant member parties.  

“The amendments to the rules of the EPP Group are clearly a hostile move against Fidesz and our voters. Limiting our MEPs’ ability to carry out their duties as elected Members of the European Parliament deprives Hungarian voters from their democratic rights,” Orbán told chairman of the EPP Manfred Weber.  

In another letter date 4 March, the strongman PM said in a letter to all MEPs that the EPP “has become an annexe of the European left.”  

“Our task is clear. Now – without the EPP – we must build a European democratic right that offers a home to European citizens who do not want migrants, who do not want multiculturalism, who have not descended into LGBTQ lunacy, who defend Europe’s Christian traditions, who respect the sovereignty of nations,” the Hungarian president said.  

Orbán also said that as countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPP “is indulging itself in power games within the bubble of bureaucrats in Brussels.”  

“This is unacceptable,” he said.

Reacting to the letter sent on Thursday, MEP Cyrus Engerer called Orbán’s statements “disgusting”.

“A small word to homophobes in Fidesz and other parties of the same ilk: we are not going back into the closet, we will not hide and we will not rest until we are treated equally in every Member State,” he said.  “This is what out Union is founded on – the values of solidarity, equality and unity in diversity.” 

The Maltese MEP called on other members to support a resolution which is due to be tabled next week, declaring the EU as an LGBTIQ Freedom zone. “This is even more important today and it is imperative that the European Commission takes decisive action against governments that supress the rights of citizens,” he said.  

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