French and Swiss parents protest against liberal sex education – and more from CNE’s podcast
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European Union
NewsRound Europe is CNE’s news podcast. It has a bulletin with some remarkable news topics from the European continent.
Ikea Poland criticised at court for discrimination
IKEA in Poland has lost a legal case against an employee who was fired for criticising the company’s LGBT expressions.
In 2019, IKEA sent an internal letter stating that all employees should be “LGBT+ inclusive.” Janusz Komenda used Bible texts to voice his disagreement, leading to his dismissal.
Polish courts ruled the firing unjust, stating workplaces should not force employees to change their beliefs.
The Supreme Court also refused IKEA’s appeal, stating participation in social initiatives should be voluntary. IKEA’s actions were criticised for contradicting its own inclusivity message.
This ruling is seen as a significant step against large companies imposing leftist values on employees, with similar cases ongoing.
An end to the German self-identification law?
Will the recent German elections make an end to the new self-identification act in the country?
A new petition, supported by over 20,000 people, calls for the repeal of Germany’s “Self-Determination Law.” This law allows individuals to change their gender and name once a year through a simple declaration.
The petition argues that the law, passed in November 2024, is one of the “most dangerous decisions” made by the current traffic light coalition government. It criticises the law for being passed at a time when other countries are protecting minors from transitioning treatments.
The petition suggests either reinstating the previous law, or creating a new one that requires psychological evaluations and waiting times for gender changes.
It also demands that changes for minors be banned, protecting them from irreversible decisions. The group urges the Christian Democratic CDU to keep its promise to repeal the law in future coalition talks. The CDU finished as winner of the general election two weeks ago.
Will Pride have a future in Hungary?
Hungary’s government led by Viktor Orbán seems to be curbing this year’s Budapest Pride. Orban’s chief of staff Gergely Gulyás said the gay march should be held in a “closed venue” instead of the usual city centre. Gulyás referred to child protection concerns. Budapest has one of the most picturesque city centres of Europe and is loved by tourists.
This move is seen as part of Orbán’s restrictions on LGBT activities ahead of the 2026 elections. It’s unclear if the event will be fully restricted.
Pride organisers say the event is family-friendly and poses no threat to children. Orbán (known for his doubts about open homosexuality) criticised Pride, calling it a “waste of money and time.”
Orbán’s government follows a Christian-conservative agenda, in which the traditional family of father and mother is the ideal, and banning the promotion of homosexuality to minors. The European Union has criticised Hungary for this and even taken the country to court. Budapest Pride has been there since 1997.
Parents take action against liberal sexual education at schools
Parents in both Switzerland and France have officially protested against the sexual education for their children at school.
A Swiss mother describes her 11-year-old daughter as shocked and traumatised after a sexual education lesson at a primary school in Zuerich. The lesson was taught by two people from the group “Achtung Liebe,” covering topics like sexuality and gender identity in a way that left the children confused.
The organisation, run by students without teaching experience, focuses on issues like consent, pornography, and gender diversity.
Similar lessons took place in Aargau, where children were also encouraged to buy condoms and were introduced to complex concepts that better fit older children, according to the parents.
Schools are now reviewing how to better manage external workshops and ensure they meet children’s needs and developmental stages.
In Switzerland, parents have complained to schools and school organisations. In France, parents went to the Council of State, that is the official advisory body in legal affairs for the French government.
Spanish government minister pleads for right to abortion in constitution
Spain’s minister of equality, Ana Redondo, said last week that she is in favour of including abortion as a right in the Spanish Constitution. France did so last year in its own constitution.
Minister Redondo said such an inclusion would be “a good way to protect sexual and reproductive rights and, above all, the freedom of women”, according to Catholic News Agency.
Literally, the minister only said that “this is a question that needs to be studied,” and added that this involves an “enormously complex” procedure. She doubts whether there is enough consensus for this at this time.
Spain also has a pro-life movement that organises a yearly March for Life around the feast of the Annunciation this year on Sunday, March 23.
Last year, when France debated the issue, the Roman Catholic Pontifical Academy for Life issued a statement pointing out that “in the era of universal human rights, there can be no ‘right’ to eliminate a human life.”
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