France's Minister for European Affairs has urged the EU to expedite sanctions on member state Hungary after it adopted legislation widely seen as discriminating against LGBT people. Clément Beaune reiterated that no country should profit from EU budgetary solidarity while rejecting European values.
Speaking in a radio interview on Wednesday morning, Beaune said it was impossible to explain to French voters how countries like Hungary and Poland could benefit from EU handouts, while completely disregarding core EU values.
"I am not in favour of expelling Hungary from the bloc," Beaune continued. "But I am in favour of sanctions. Now we have to do something.
"We can organise sanctions in the next few months – but it's too slow. And I don't think financial penalties are sufficiently powerful."
Controversial Hungarian legislation
Last week the Hungarian parliament passed a law forbidding "the representation or promotion of gender identities different from an individual's sex at birth, or of sex change, or of homosexuality," to any audience under the age of 18.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has described the legislation as "shameful" and has asked for a commission report on possible measures against Hungary before the text passes into law.
Von der Leyen has the open support of a majority of EU leaders.
France is to take over the presidency of the European Union in 2022.
