London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Polish regional council votes to retain ‘LGBT free’ stance despite risk of €2.5 BILLION EU funding loss

Polish regional council votes to retain ‘LGBT free’ stance despite risk of €2.5 BILLION EU funding loss

A Polish regional assembly has decided against revoking a 2019 decision promoting ‘LGBT-free zones’ in spite of receiving a warning from the European Commision of having more than €2.5 billion cut from EU funding.
On Thursday, the regional council in Poland’s southern Malopolska region voted against an opposition motion to revoke the 2019 resolution, which declared the strongly Catholic area as being free from ‘LGBT ideology’. The measure banned the promotion of homosexuality and other minority sexual identities in public spaces such as schools.

Votes from representatives of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party were key in ensuring that the LGBT-free zoning legislation was not revoked, according to local reports.

The local authority received a letter from the EU this summer over the designation. According to the Polish council, the missive warned that the region could lose more than €2.5 billion of EU funding if it did not revoke the motion.

Last month, the Commission said in a statement that it had “decided to send a letter of formal notice to Poland for its lack of cooperation” with the EU executive by failing to provide requested information about the adoption of such resolutions by “several Polish municipalities.”

“The Commission is concerned that these declarations may violate EU law regarding non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation,” it added. “It is therefore necessary to carry out a detailed analysis of the compatibility of the resolutions with EU law. In order to complete this assessment, the Commission needs adequate and comprehensive information from the Polish authorities.”

The result of Thursday’s vote in Malopolska was heavily criticized by Polish MEP Robert Biedron for "throwing €2.5 billion down the drain".

“Once again, the hatred and anger of PiS turned out to be more important than the good of citizens, and they will suffer the most from this decision,” he said in a tweet.

Jan Duda — father of current Polish president Andrzej Duda and leader of the southern Malopolska regional council — suggested that rather than revoke the motion, it needs to be rewritten. “We cannot simply deny what was said in 2019,” Dude commented, adding: “We need to meet and rewrite this declaration, as the one from 2019 has been misunderstood.”

Some Polish conservatives have said that the LGBT-free zones are not discriminatory against gay people, but rather against ‘LBGT ideology’.

LGBT rights have been the center of an ongoing row between Poland and the EU. Earlier this year, the European Parliament declared the whole of the European Union an ‘LGBT Freedom Zone’, partly in response to the Polish designations.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×