After the European Commission raised a legal challenge, Prime Minister Victor Orban called on the public to vote on the new legislation.

After the European Commission took legal action against his government on the measure, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban announced plans to hold a referendum on a controversial LGBTQ law.

This legislationEffective this month, the use of materials deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change in schools is prohibited. It caused anxiety in the LGBTQ community in Hungary, caused contempt across Europe, and intensified friction between the Hungarian government and the European Commission of Executive Agencies.

Hungary is constantly escalating Struggle with the committee In announcing the planned referendum, Orban on Wednesday accused the agency of abusing its power and launched an infringement procedure that violates legislation last week, which may hinder EU funding for Hungary.

“The future of our children is at stake, so we cannot make concessions on this issue,” Orban said in a video posted on Facebook.

“In the past few weeks, Brussels has clearly criticized Hungary’s child protection law. Hungarian law does not allow sexual promotion in kindergartens, schools, television and advertisements,” he added.

Orban urges Hungarians to vote “no”

The Hungarian government claims that the law is a way to protect children, but opponents believe that the law confuses pedophilia with homosexuality and stigmatizes LGBTQ people.

The hardline nationalist Orban did not announce when the planned referendum would be held, but said it would include five questions.

This will include asking whether Hungarians support holding sexual orientation seminars in schools without their consent, or whether they believe that gender reassignment procedures should be promoted among children.

Orban said the question also includes whether content that may affect children’s sexual orientation should be displayed without any restrictions, or whether children should also be provided with gender reassignment procedures.

He urged all participants to answer “no” to the question.

The prime minister, who has been in power since 2010 and faces an election in April next year, portrays himself as a defender of Western liberalism and traditional Christian values.

In recent years, he has become more and more radical in social policy, criticizing LGBTQ people, immigrants and refugees as part of his self-styled non-free governance method.

EU criticizes the bill as “disgrace”

The European Commission did not immediately comment on Orban’s plan to hold a referendum.

The agency stated that the law violated EU regulations on the right to freedom of speech and free trade and service provision.

European Commission President Ursula von der Lein previously called the bill a “disgrace” and said that EU executives would use “all available powers” to force Hungary to repeal or amend the law.

The infringement procedure proposed by the agency involves several steps, which may be delayed for several years, and eventually enter the European Court of Justice, which may be subject to financial penalties.

Hungary has two months to respond to the arguments put forward by the committee before proceeding to the next stage of the process.