Bulgarian Parliament vote banning ‘LGBTI propaganda’ in schools

Question for written answer E-001751/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Leila Chaibi (The Left), Manon Aubry (The Left), Damien Carême (The Left), Emma Fourreau (The Left), Rima Hassan (The Left), Marina Mesure (The Left), Arash Saeidi (The Left), Anthony Smith (The Left)

On 7 August 2024, the Bulgarian Parliament passed a bill tabled by the far-right, pro-Russian party Vazrajdane and inspired by Russian and Hungarian legislation. It outlaws the 'propaganda, promotion of ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or gender identity other than the biological one' in schools.

Several associations have spoken out against this vote, which muzzles LGBTI persons and represents a backwards step in human rights within the European Union. Amnesty International recently stated that the Hungarian law has created a climate of 'fear' within the LGBTI community, and worries that the same will happen Bulgaria.

Given this:

• 1.Does the Commission consider that Bulgaria is in breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European, in particular Article 21(1) thereof banning discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation?
• 2.What does the Commission intend do to ensure that Bulgaria upholds the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter?
• 3.How does it intend to use the means at its disposal to ensure that the fundamental rights of LGBTI persons are upheld if Bulgaria decides not to back down on this legislation?

Submitted: 18.9.2024