Poland’s justice minister fabricates claim the EU wants to impose same-sex marriage in pathetic attempt to inflame hate
Poland’s Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro (Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty)
Right-wing justice minister has claimed that the EU could force the introduction of same-sex marriage on Poland, in another brazen attempt to inflame hatred in the country.
Zbigniew Ziobro, of the ruling Law and Justice Party, set the sights on gay people yet again in a press conference on Monday, while threatening to veto an EU budget agreement.
He suggests that an aspect of the economic recovery plan, which stipulates that payouts to countries can be blocked if they are deemed to be undermining democratic values, could be weaponised against Poland.
Poland’s justice minister fabricated same-sex marriage fears to stir up opposition to EU deal.
Ziobro claimed: “There is a real risk that we may find ourselves in a situation where the EC will effectively force us to introduce the so-called homosexual marriages with the right to adopt children. Well, we cannot agree to this under any circumstances.”
In reality, there was no reference to same-sex marriage whatsoever in the EU proposal aimed at safeguarding against rogue states – and given only 13 of the EU’s 27 nations permit same-sex marriage, it is highly unlikely to be “imposed” upon Poland.
The reference to democratic values also faced a veto threat from Hungary’s far-right government, which is already credibly accused of eroding the country’s democratic structures and the rule of law.
Under a compromise agreed by the EU 27 on Tuesday, the economic package has been backed without the safeguards, which will be discussed separately.
Poland’s Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro (Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty)
Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán declared victory, saying: “Hungary and Poland didn’t simply secure substantial funds, we have also protected our national pride. We have successfully refused all attempts that would have tied access to EU funds to ‘rule of law’ criteria.”
Politicians have repeatedly stoked anti-LGBT+ hatred in Poland.
The apparent fabrication by Ziobro is only the latest in a string of attempts to inflame hatred against LGBT+ people in Poland.
LGBT+ people have become a popular punching bag for the country’s conservative government over the past several years, with conservative president Andrzej Duda narrowly winning re-election earlier this month after making homophobia one of the core planks of his campaign.
In a “family charter” published ahead of the election, Duda pledged to “prohibit the propagation of this ideology” in public institutions and “defend the institution of marriage” as defined as a “relationship between a women and a man”.
With days to go until the run-off vote, Duda also proposed an amendment to Poland’s constitution that would ban same-sex couples from adopting children. He said: “I am convinced that, thanks to this, children’s safety and concern for the good of children will be ensured to a much greater extent.”
As part of the politically-driven attack on LGBT+ people, nearly 100 Polish municipal or local governments have proclaimed themselves zones “free from LGBT+ ideology” and opposing gay “propaganda” – covering nearly a third of the country.
The European Parliament passed a resolution that strongly condemned the concept of LGBT-free zones in December, noting that they are “part of a broader context of attacks against the LGBT+ community in Poland, which include growing hate speech by public and elected officials and public media, as well as attacks and bans on Pride marches”.
