Refusal of the Hungarian Parliament to ratify the Istanbul Convention

14.5.2020

Question for written answer E-002981/2020/rev.1
to the Council
Rule 138
Alessandra Moretti (S&D), Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D), Pina Picierno (S&D), Patrizia Toia (S&D), Pietro Bartolo (S&D), Franco Roberti (S&D), Paolo De Castro (S&D), Giuliano Pisapia (S&D), Brando Benifei (S&D), Giuseppe Ferrandino (S&D)

The Hungarian Parliament has refused to ratify the Istanbul Convention – the first legally binding international instrument for preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The parliament maintained that Hungarian law already ensured that women were legally protected. Moreover, according to the majority, the Istanbul Convention could promote ‘illegal migration’ (it calls for protection to be guaranteed to victims of gender violence) and ‘gender ideology’, which is considered to be ideologically contrary to Hungarian law and the beliefs of the government. 

This was not a bolt from the blue: since 2010, Viktor Orbán has introduced laws restricting press freedom, built walls to stop migrants and taken up positions against Muslims, homosexuals and women. He has also taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to grant himself full powers for an unlimited period of time. 

In the light of these events, and bearing in mind that cases of domestic violence have doubled since the start of the COVID confinement:

what is the Council’s view of this matter?