The European Parliament recently voted to impose sanctions against their member states Hungary and Poland during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Opponents of the vote say that it is ideologically motivated to force the two Eastern European nations to accept abortion laws and LGBTQ+ ideology.
The Vote
An overwhelming majority, 478 of 662 votes, voted for sanctions due to the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism violations. It was introduced in 2021 to use economic sanctions against countries that did not abide by “values that member states and citizens must uphold,” according to the co-writer Eider Gardiazabal Rubial of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party. She said, “the EU is not an à la carte establishment, where you can keep your rights but not meet your obligations.” The sanctions incur a significant loss of revenue for Poland and Hungary.
From the center-right to the far-left, the entire political establishment supported the bill. Only the European Conservatives and Reformists, the Identity and Democracy group, the Hungarian Fidesz, and a few stray MEPs voted against it. The President of the Spanish party, Vox Santiago Abascal, described it as “criminal” and said that “Brussels intends to stab Poland again, the country with the most solidarity with Ukraine in the entire EU.”
The Refugees
He refers to Poland having received 1.3 million Ukrainian refugees, and Hungary taking in over 200,000, more than all the other nations combined. The political establishment has condemned and punished them rather than cheering them as heroes during a humanitarian crisis.
Ironically, one of the reasons for the sanctions is that both nations have steadfastly refused to take any Syrian refugees or African migrants. They are generally opposed to mass immigration from non-European countries.
LGBTQ Ideology
Both countries have also enacted laws against radical LGBTQ ideology, not unlike the recently passed anti-grooming law in Florida. The bill prevents teachers from instructing children as young as six on performing sexual acts.
Homosexuality is legal in both countries, and gays, lesbians, and bisexuals can serve in the military. In Poland, transgender persons are even allowed to change their legal gender. However, these groups are not allowed to adopt children in either country, and same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned in Hungary, although it has recognized registered partnerships since 2009. Hungary and Poland have among the most liberal LGBTQ laws globally. By comparison, most African and Middle Eastern nations outlaw homosexuality, some with severe punishment.
Nevertheless, radical leftists in the EU don’t think this is good enough and have been at the forefront in imposing economic sanctions on the two member states. By contrast, the EU recently pledged a $170 billion aid package to African nations, many of which ban homosexuality.
Radical Agenda
The two targeted east European countries have been among the leading voices for a populist uprising against the globalist hegemony in the EU. In almost every electorate in Europe, the centrist parties have contracted, and the conservative and populist parties have expanded. They still make up less than 30% of the European Parliament, but they may be the majority within the foreseeable future with their current growth rate.
As lodestars, Poland and Hungary are severely threatening the established power structure of Europe and its radical agenda. This power struggle provides an illuminating context for the economic sanctions.
~ Read more from Caroline Adana.
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