Slovak constitutional change promotes anti-LGBTQ ‘national identity’

The law amendment states that antheral and pistillate volition beryllium the lone recognised genders successful the country.

Slovakia has approved a law amendment to bounds the rights of same-sex couples.

The country’s parliament connected Friday approved the change, which states that antheral and pistillate volition beryllium the lone recognised genders, and that schoolhouse curricula indispensable respect the taste and ethical positions acceptable retired successful the constitution.

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The amendment was approved with the minimum indispensable 90 votes successful the 150-seat little location with the assistance of immoderate blimpish members of the opposition.

The ballot marks a sweeping alteration for the European Union (EU), arsenic a nationalist instrumentality takes precedence implicit EU law, perchance posing a situation to the functioning of the 27-nation bloc.

Nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico has billed the law alteration arsenic “a dam against progressivism”.

After the vote, Michal Simecka, person of the strongest absorption enactment successful parliament, Progressive Slovakia, said the amendment “will wounded the radical of Slovakia and telephone into question Slovakia’s spot successful the EU and its ineligible space”.

After the amendment was projected successful precocious January, Fico framed the request for it arsenic a mode of upholding “the traditions, the taste and spiritual practice of our ancestors” to conception a “constitutional obstruction against progressive politics” and reconstruct “common sense”.

“There are 2 sexes, antheral and female”, defined astatine birth, the connection states – an echo of United States President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech.

“Sex cannot beryllium modified but for superior reasons, according to procedures that volition beryllium established by law,” it continues.

The amendment besides authorises adoption lone for joined couples, with uncommon exceptions.

Slovakia’s constitution already defines matrimony arsenic a national betwixt a antheral and a woman, pursuing an amendment from 2014, erstwhile Fico was besides premier minister.

It besides states that Slovakia’s “sovereignty” regarding “cultural and ethical questions” should override EU law.

MP Maria Kolikova, of the centre-right Freedom and Solidarity party, warned that the law alteration could jeopardise EU funds for Slovakia and undermine its rank of Europe’s apical rights organisation, the Council of Europe.

In a connection connected Wednesday, the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission warned astir “the request for the definitions of ‘national identity’ and ‘cultural and ethical issues’ not to make a struggle with the existing planetary obligations of the Slovak Republic”.

The ineligible advisory assemblage besides cautioned “that entrenching a strict binary knowing of enactment successful the Constitution should not effect successful justifying favoritism based connected intersexual predisposition oregon sex individuality successful consequent authorities oregon authorities measures”.

Amnesty International besides criticised Slovakia’s amendment, saying the changes targeted LGBTI+ and reproductive rights.

“This is devastating news. Instead of taking factual measures to support the rights of LGBTI+ people, children, and women, our parliament voted to follow law amendments that enactment the constitution successful nonstop struggle with planetary law,” Amnesty Slovakia main Rado Sloboda said successful a statement.

Since his instrumentality to powerfulness successful 2023, Fico has faced a bid of protests successful his 5.4-million-strong state implicit this thrust to curb rights. He has tightened his grip connected what helium deems “hostile” media and replaced starring figures successful the country’s taste institutions.

Fico, 1 of the Kremlin’s fewer allies wrong the EU, has besides drawn Bratislava person to Moscow.