“We won’t leave you alone and we will not stop working until we see that you too are given your fundamental rights, so that you will be able to live your lives in liberty, free from any persecution and violence,” said Labour Member of the European Parliament Cyrus Engerer in his maiden speech in the European Parliament, directly addressing LGBTIQ people in Poland and Hungary.

MEP Cyrus Engerer closed his address by congratulating European Commissioner Helena Dalli and her team on the first European Strategy directly addressing LGBTIQ persons. “Thanks to this strategy, all European Children will know that irrespective of whom they identify themselves as, will have the opportunity to pursue happiness in their lives”.

Engerer was speaking during a debate presented by Commissioner Helena Dalli on the European LGBTIQ Equality Strategy.

He referred to the situation in Poland and Hungary and other countries across the globe which deny LGBTIQ persons and their families their freedom. He said that it is his wish to see what the Labour Government managed to achieve in Malta will become the European Union’s main objective.

“The least a Government can do, in any Member State, is to allow its citizens, female, male or those who don’t identify themselves with any given box, the right to pursue happiness”, Engerer said.

Engerer spoke on the importance of mutual recognition of LGBTIQ rights across the European Union.

“LGBTIQ persons and their families must be given their rights, liberties and protection as any other citizen, irrespective of where they reside within the Union,” concluded Engerer.