Response to the condemnation of the amendment to Hungary’s child protection law by certain European Union Member States:
In recent days, governments of several EU states have launched a groundless offensive against Hungary. Hungary rejects these attacks. The Hungarian law does not exercise any form of discrimination, it is in line with EU law, and is based on the regulations of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The Hungarian law protects children’s rights and guarantees those of the parents, it does not apply to adults.
The declaration, signed by certain EU Member States, cites the amendment falsely, leaving out substantive parts of the text. The regulation put forward in the law protects children from all forms of sexuality, therefore it cannot be considered discriminative. Hungary’s child protection law prohibits the autotelic display, in the case of children, of not only homosexuality, but also sexuality as a whole. Hence, the regulation is neither homophobic, nor heterophobic. According to Article 14 (3) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights “the right of parents to ensure the education and teaching of their children in conformity with their religious, philosophical and pedagogical convictions shall be respected, in accordance with the national laws governing the exercise of such freedom and right.” Sexual education in Hungary – in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights – is primarily the task of parents. In Hungary, everyone is free to express their sexual identity, as Hungarian laws ensure the fundamental constitutional rights to all minorities, including sexual minorities.
We call upon the governments of the signatory countries to refrain in the future from groundlessly defaming Hungary.