Hungary moves to amend its child-protection law after EU court ruling

Budapest announces amendments

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has announced plans to amend the country’s disputed child-protection law following a European Union court judgment. According to Euronews, the proposed changes would preserve restrictions intended to shield minors from violent and sexual material while removing provisions that discriminate against sexual minorities. The government expected to submit the amendments to parliament on September 14.

The announcement represents a significant shift in the state’s formal response to a law adopted under former prime minister Viktor Orbán in 2021. That legislation combined rules against child sexual abuse with restrictions on representations of homosexuality and gender transition in media and educational material accessible to minors. It prompted legal action from the European Commission and sustained criticism from rights groups and other EU governments.

What the European court found

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on April 21 that Hungary had breached EU law. Its official judgment record says the restrictions infringed internal-market rules and fundamental rights, and that the legislation’s treatment of LGBTIQ people conflicted with core EU values. The court described the provisions as stigmatising and marginalising the people affected.

The proposed amendment does not by itself settle whether Hungary has fully complied. Euronews reported that the European Commission considered it too early to assess the draft and remained in contact with Budapest. The decisive questions will be the final statutory wording, how regulators apply it to schools and media, and whether enforcement ceases to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Funding and implementation remain linked

Magyar connected the legal changes to the possible release of roughly €500 million in EU educational support. That creates a practical incentive for rapid legislation, but EU compliance cannot be established through the government’s announcement alone. The Commission must examine the adopted text and its implementation before determining whether the judgment’s requirements have been met.

Parliamentary scrutiny is therefore the next immediate stage. Lawmakers and civil-society organisations will examine whether the amendment merely removes explicit references or also changes the broader regulatory effect that led to censorship and unequal treatment. Brussels will then decide whether the revision resolves the infringement or whether further legal and financial pressure remains necessary.