The European Commission must be braver when it comes to protecting citizens from discrimination – this is the message that the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament will send in Strasbourg tomorrow as they step up the fight to save the threatened Equal Treatment Directive.

In recognition of the bravery shown by the 200,000 citizens who marched at Budapest Pride in defiance of extreme pressure from Hungary’s far-right government, the S&Ds have chosen to dedicate the July Plenary Topical Debate to the defence of fundamental rights.

Objecting to the withdrawal of the Equal Treatment Directive – a key draft equality law that the European Commission wants to drop – will be a key focus for the debate, which takes place with the title “Lessons from Budapest Pride: the urgent need for an EU wide anti-discrimination law and defending fundamental rights against right wing attacks”.

Ana Catarina Mendes, S&D vice-president, said:

“Budapest Pride was a historic moment. Viktor Orbán’s attempts to violate the civil rights of his citizens failed massively. Through this debate, we want to make it clear to the Commission that we will continue to stand side by side with those fighting discrimination, and we expect the Commission to do the same.

“We are making the call to save the Equal Treatment Directive, which the Commission wants to abandon. Tomorrow, MEPs will finally have the opportunity to voice their opposition to the withdrawal of this crucial draft law. The Commission should listen to the message from Budapest, keep the Directive on the negotiation table, and recommit to the negotiations.

“The 2025 Annual Rule of Law report unveiled today by the Commission shows that fundamental rights are clearly under threat, in Hungary, and elsewhere in the EU. Withdrawing proposals that will protect against discrimination and defend rights for citizens is not only wrong but clearly contradicts the concerning findings of this year’s Annual Rule of Law Report. We call on the Commission to fully play its mandate as Guardian of the Treaties, protecting the fundamental values on which the EU was founded.”

The Equal Treatment Directive – also referred to as the horizontal anti-discrimination directive – was slated for withdrawal in February, as part of the European Commission’s 2025 Work Programme. The outgoing Polish Presidency, multiple member states, several Groups in the European Parliament, and civil society organisations have since expressed their disagreement with this move.

To ensure MEPs have an opportunity to voice their opinions directly to the Commission, this session’s Plenary Topical Debate – selected this time by the S&Ds – will address the directive in the wider context of the fight for fundamental rights.

The S&Ds are proud to stand in defence of fundamental rights against right-wing attacks. An S&D delegation took part in Budapest Pride, alongside delegations from the Renew, Green/EFA and Left Groups. In Budapest, the S&D Bureau issued a statement in support of LGBTIQ+ rights, democracy and the rule of Law(opens in a new tab) [1].