A decision that ignores the opinion of the Council of Europe. The Bulgarian president, close to Moscow, Rumen Radev, signed on Thursday 15 August the decree allowing a controversial law against the “propaganda” LGBTQIA+ to come into force, despite a veto request from the international organization based in Strasbourg.
The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, said: “deeply concerned” and had called Mr. Radev, on Xhas “do not sign” the law, demanding that the authorities of this Balkan country “tackle discrimination and hostile rhetoric against LGBTQIA+ people, including in the run-up to elections”.
He was referring to the ongoing election campaign in Bulgaria, a country that is going through a serious political crisis and which, too divided to find a majority to form a stable government, is organizing its seventh legislative elections this fall since 2021.
Last week, the Bulgarian parliament adopted, by a large majority, new legislation copied from those of Hungary and Russia banning schools “to encourage” sexual orientation “non-traditional” and gender identity “different from biological”.
The new amendment had provoked numerous protests: seventy Bulgarian NGOs asked the head of state to use his right of veto to prevent its implementation, 6,000 people signed a petition to this effect.
Two demonstrations, each bringing together around two hundred people, were organised. A new rally is planned for Thursday evening in Sofia against this text, which its opponents consider to be contrary to the law of the European Union, of which Bulgaria is a member.
Source: Lemonde
