Italy was among nine EU countries that did not sign a declaration promoting European policies in favor of LGBT+ communities, sparking widespread protests within the country while the government described it as “unbalanced”. Italy’s refusal to sign an EU declaration on the World Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia sparked a lot of controversy, both from the opposition parties and Italian citizens. Alongside Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, Italy opted out of endorsing the document, which aims to protect LGBTQ+ rights and combat discrimination. The declaration committed signatory states to implementing national strategies for LGBTQ+ people and appointing a new EU Commissioner for Equality following the upcoming EU parliamentary elections.