A new report from ILGA-Europe warns that authoritarian-leaning governments are now using anti-LGBTI tactics as a broader “blueprint” to criminalize dissent and silence civil society. The study highlights how legislation originally framed as “child protection” in countries like Hungary has evolved into primary laws used to ban public assemblies and blacklist organizations. The authorities in Hungary are increasingly employing digital biometric surveillance and criminal “propaganda” laws to restrict who can participate in public life. This trend reflects a shift toward using identity politics as a tool for state-led repression against anyone deemed a threat to national sovereignty.
Date: February 26, 2026. Source: euobserver.com