Hungary passes constitutional amendment banning Pride and restricting rights – Europe live

And on that note I’m passing the blog to Tom Ambrose who will bring you more from this as we get first reactions to the vote. Despite the weeks-long protests and a brief disruption in the chamber just before the vote, the Hungarian constitutional amendment has now been passed, with 140 votes in favour and 21 against, Index reported. Monday’s amendment underpins legislation passed on 18 March that bans the annual Pride march, effectively restricting freedom of assembly and triggering protests against the changes fast-tracked by Orbán’s Fidesz party, AFP said. The key provision declares that children’s rights for their “proper physical, mental and moral development take precedence over all other fundamental rights,” except the right to life, AP explained. That provision is seen as a way to strengthen the legal foundations for the prohibition of the Pride march, it added. The amendment proclaims that people can only be male or female, and allows for temporary stripping of citizenship from some dual or multiple nationals, which AP speculates that could target billionaire George Soros, a Hungarian-American and a regular subject of populist conspiracy theories. Opposition forces are leading a protest against the vote outside the parliament. I’m keeping an eye on the events in Budapest, and will update you soon. The bloc of votes has just started, according to Hungarian media. But in the meantime, let me bring you this update from US president Donald Trump on Ukraine. Posting on Truth Social, he insisted he was “working diligently to get the death and destruction to stop,” as he added “we have to get it to stop, and fast.” Here is his post in full: The War between Russia and Ukraine is Biden’s war, not mine. I just got here, and for four years during my term, had no problem in preventing it from happening. President Putin, and everyone else, respected your President! I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WAR, BUT AM WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION TO STOP. If the 2020 Presidential Election was not RIGGED, and it was, in so many ways, that horrible War would never have happened. President Zelenskyy and Crooked Joe Biden did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin. There were so many ways of preventing it from ever starting. But that is the past. Now we have to get it to STOP, AND FAST. SO SAD! The Hungarian vote is accompanied by protests outside the parliament building in Budapest. AFP noted that according to the organisers of the Pride parade, scheduled for 28 June, the changes move the EU member country closer to authoritarianism. They also criticise that the amendment conflates being a member of the LGBTQ community with paedophilia and pornography, adding that it is an “attempt … to dehumanise them”. Elsewhere, Hungarian lawmakers are expected to vote in a controversial constitutional amendment on Monday that rights campaigners have described as a “significant escalation” in the government’s efforts to crack down on dissent and chip away at human rights. Backed by the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his rightwing populist party, Fidesz, the amendment seeks to codify the government’s recent ban on Pride events, paving the way for authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them. The amendment, which the government says prioritises the protection of children’s physical, mental and moral development, also enshrines the recognition of only two sexes, providing a constitutional basis for denying the gender identities of some in Hungary. After Orbán’s repeated claims of foreign interference in the country’s politics, the amendment will also allow the government to temporarily suspend Hungarian citizenship in the case of dual nationals deemed to pose a threat to the country’s security or sovereignty. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group, described the amendment as a means of “legislating fear” in the EU country. “These laws represent a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress dissent, weaken human rights protection and consolidate its grip on power,” it said in a statement. The opposition Momentum party highlighted similarities with restrictions in Russia. Much like Vladimir Putin, Orbán has sought to portray himself as a champion of traditional family values, ushering in policies that include blocking same-sex couples from adopting children and barring any mention of LGBTQ+ issues in school education programmes. Read the full story here: Kallas also said that it was “in everybody’s interest” to make Russia “realise it made a mistake” by attacking Ukraine and making it clear it cannot win. “Because the will of the Ukrainian people is not broken, and European countries will – and not only European countries, but many other countries – will stand by Ukraine,” she says. In a pointed remark likely aimed at US president Donald Trump, she says: “I hope that it’s also clear to everybody now, that if you want the killing to stop, you should put the pressure on Russia, who actually does the killing.” And that concludes the briefing. Kallas also reiterates the need to provide more ammunition to Ukraine “as soon as possible,” saying “they need it now, because these attacks are [happening], there are civilian casualties in great numbers.” “That’s why they need the ammunition. That’s why they also need the air defence. The calls by Ukraine to have more air defense have been really, really vocal,” she says. Kallas also summed up the discussion on Gaza, with “the first ever high-level political dialogue with Palestine” taking place later today, as the bloc supports the two state solution. She says the overall situation is “very grave” and urged mediators to restart negotiations, agree to a ceasefire and release all hostages. She says that Israel “has the right to defend itself, but its current actions go beyond proportionate self-defence.” Kallas also spoke about the discussion leaders had on Syria with the country’s future “still very fragile,” on Iran, and on the EU’s policy on Africa. She then turned to the bloc’s enlargement policies, praising Albania and Montenegro for making “good progress,” and expressing concerns about the attempts to break Bosnia and Herzegovina. She also issued a pointed warning against “any participation in the 9 May parades or celebrations in Moscow,” saying this “will not be taken lightly on the European side, considering that Russia is really waging a full scale war in Europe.” Talking about putting more pressure on Russia, Kallas says the bloc is working on the 17th package of sanctions covering “shadow fleet and different elements” for the next meeting in May. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is briefing reporters after the meeting of EU foreign ministers. She opens by saying that all countries want to see peace in Ukraine, but pointedly calls Russia out for not committing to the US-led proposal for a ceasefire. She says: “Ukraine agreed to unconditional ceasefire already a month ago, and yet we are seeing that Russia alone wants war, because we have seen the deadliest attack …Sumy airstrike over the weekend. It is clear that they are stalling and not wanting peace at all.” She then adds: “So the only way to get Russia to negotiate seriously is putting some more pressure on Russia.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is about to brief journalists about today’s discussions among EU foreign ministers, including on Ukraine. You can follow her press conference below, and I will bring you all the key lines in the blog. I brought you earlier the confirmation from the European Commission that EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is in Brussels for talks with the US on trade. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett just told Fox Business that the US was “making enormous progress on tariff talks with the EU,” Reuters reported. “There have been a lot of discussions with the EU,” Hassett, director of the National Economic Council said in an interview with Fox Business Network, in comments reported by Reuters. “We’re making enormous progress. It’s going to be very good for American workers, especially American auto workers.” A top British security expert is being appointed as British ambassador to France in a sign of how the UK sees the future defence relationship with France and cooperation with Paris over Ukraine critical to the future of the Franco-British bilateral relationship. Sir Thomas Drew will take over as ambassador in Paris starting in August 2025. He has spent the last four years as the FCDO’s most senior official responsible for Defence and Intelligence where he led on issues ranging from Covid-19 to threats from hostile states. He will take over from Dame Menna Rawlings in the summer. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the British prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, have grown into close political allies in the last few months as they have tried to build support for some kind of European led protection force in Ukraine. Sir Tom’s previous roles in Government have also included the Director of National Security in both the Foreign Office and Home Office. A Foreign Office source said: “Sir Tom is a seasoned diplomat with invaluable experience, his appointment will build on the new era in our alliance with France under this Government. This is underpinned by closer than ever cooperation by the foreign secretary and prime minister, including joint visits, leading the Coalition of the Willing and a UK-France Summit due later this summer.” Back to Germany, the Bundestag has now confirmed that the formal election of the country’s next chancellor is scheduled for 6 May (assuming that the coalition deal gets approved before then.) The decision was made by the Bundestag president, Julia Klöckner. The timing makes sense: as the new head of the government, Friedrich Merz would then represent Germany at the Victory in Europe Day celebrations on 8 May and then at the EU-UK summit on 19 May, creating ample opportunities to meet other leaders in his new role. The Russian defence ministry also responded to the criticism for its attack on Sumy, claiming it had targeted a meeting of Ukrainian commanding officers, Russian news agencies reported on Monday. We are now hearing from the Kremlin, with Russia insisting that it “strikes only military or military-related targets,” despite the widespread condemnation for the attack on civilians in Sumy (9:18). The Kremlin also warned Germany’s Friedrich Merz that his promise to offer Taurus missiles to Ukraine “would only lead to a further escalation” (10:48). On US-Russia talks last week, it said the issues discussed were “extremely complex,” praising “such contacts … very useful and effective,” but the two had not substantively discussed a possible meeting between Putin and Trump. Hungary will not agree to any part of the European Union’s military training mission to take place inside Ukraine, as that would risk an escalation of war, Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said, Reuters reported. Hungary will also oppose any sanctions on Russian energy imports, Szijjártó –who regularly visited Moscow throughout the war – added in a press conference broadcast on his Facebook from Luxemburg after a meeting of European Union foreign ministers. On tariffs, the European Commission has just confirmed that EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is in Washington today, pushing for a resolution to the trade dispute with the US. A commission spokesperson said that it was “too early to say” what could be the outcome of his meetings, but insisted that the bloc would continue with the “two-track” approach of negotiations and preparations “for what happens if negotiations do not work out.” “We really hope this one works out,” he said, but added that until then, “all options are on the table.” Speaking of Merz and Germany, the presumed next chancellor appears to be facing potential problems in the government forming process as the young wing of his junior partner, the Social Democrats, signaled its opposition to the coalition agreement this morning. Jusos leader Philipp Türmer told RTL/ntv that the proposed deal did not offer enough for the group to offer its backing, noting issues with policies on migration, labour and social affairs. Regional Jusos groupings in North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein also signaled their opposition to the proposal. But the leadership’s view is not binding and individual members can still vote as they see fit. Starting on Tuesday, almost 360,000 members of the SPD will be asked to vote on the deal, and Jusos reportedly has approx. 70,000 members in that group. The result of the vote is expected on 30 April, with Merz potentially taking over as the new chancellor in early May – if he secures the backing from all involved. Elsewhere, if you want to follow the stock markets and see what are their reactions to the latest policy changes on tariffs, make sure you check our business live blog: Sending more military aid for Ukraine is one of the agenda items for today’s talks among EU foreign ministers. Incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested last night that his government could finally deliver on Kyiv’s longstanding request to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, capable of strikes inside Russia. “I have always said that I would only do it in agreement with European partners,” he said in an interview with ARD, noting that others – including the UK and France – are already supplying missiles to Ukraine. “It must be coordinated and if it is coordinated, then Germany should participate,” he added. His comments are in stark contrast with those of outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz, who repeatedly refused giving Ukraine the missiles fearing further escalation. Control over the Taurus missiles, theoretically able to hit targets in Moscow, would only be guaranteed if German soldiers were directly involved in firing them, and “that is completely out of the question”, Scholz explained in a leaked conversation last year. The Ukrainian air force said on Monday that Russia launched 62 drones to attack the country overnight, Reuters reported. Separately, regional officials said overnight attacks by Russia sparked a fire at a petrol station in Zaporizhzhia, injured at least eight people and damaged houses across the southeastern part of Ukraine. Seven people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa that also damaged several homes and a medical facility late on Sunday, Ukraine‘s Emergency Service said in a post on Telegram. Even by the warped standards of wartime, Russia’s Sunday morning attack on Sumy was astonishingly brazen. Two high-speed ballistic missiles, armed, Ukraine says, with cluster munitions, slammed into the heart of the border city in mid-morning as families went to church, waited for a theatre performance or were simply strolling about on a mild spring day. To contemplate a daytime city-centre attack, in the full knowledge that civilians will be present, reflects a Russian culture of impunity that has been allowed to endure without effective challenge. Nevertheless, Washington’s approach, under Donald Trump, has been to try to negotiate an end to the war by talking directly with Moscow, while remaining mostly silent on Russian attacks on civilians. The dissonance between the killing and destruction in Sumy on Sunday and the photographed handshake between Witkoff and Putin is all too evident to most observers. It is not clear why it should even be contemplated that Ukraine hand over territory (something that even the US cannot easily force on Kyiv) when Russia is willing to countenance daytime attacks on civilians. But Moscow believes, and acts like it believes, it can get away with it. The Kremlin will ignore condemnation from European leaders and wait for the news cycle to move on – and will almost certainly continue to attack Ukrainian cities to little military purpose. Not only are drone attacks commonplace, but there are now concerns they are routinely being armed with cluster munitions, while almost every day one or two hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles are thrown into the deadly mix. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes that gradually Trump will realise Putin is not negotiating in good faith. Certainly, the attack on the centre of Sumy hardly suggests a strong appetite for peace. But it is unclear at what point, if any, the White House is prepared to conclude that killing of civilians means that it needs to put genuine pressure on Russia to negotiate rather than indulge the Kremlin. EU foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg this morning to discuss the key challenges facing the bloc in foreign affairs, with Ukraine top of the pile. Reeling from the shock of Russia’s Palm Sunday’s attack on Sumy, which killed at least 34 and injured more than 100, the leaders will discuss what more they can do to help Ukraine deter Russian aggression. We saw strong political reactions already on Sunday. French president Emmanuel Macron blamed Moscow for “blatant disregard for human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts of president Trump.” Incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Russia of “serious war crimes” and “perfidy” in the way the attack was conducted. Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said the attack represented “the Russian version of a ceasefire.” On arrivals this morning, the language of top foreign policy chiefs was similarly clear. EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said it only served as a reminder of the importance of supporting Ukraine “to put maximum pressure on Russia” as the Vladimir Putin continues to reject the ceasefire offer. Poland’s Radosław Sikorski said the “heinous” attack was “Russia’s mocking answer” to the peace efforts by president Trump, saying he hoped the US administration would see “the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill.” But it does not appear to be seen that way over in the US. Speaking to reporters last night, US president Donald Trump said the attack on Sumy was “terrible,” but added he was “told it was a mistake.” He then blamed Joe Biden for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as he asserted: “this is not my war.” Coincidentally, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CBS in an interview that he feared that “Russian narratives are prevailing in the US,” as he pointedly blamed vice-president JD Vance for the infamous Oval Office spat by saying he was “somehow justifying Putin’s actions.” Zelenskyy also issued a dramatic plea to Trump asking him “before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.” Let’s see if his invite gets picked up by the White House. It’s Monday, 14 April 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.