Prime Minister of Hungary: Péter Magyar, Photo source: QueerConnect
Here is the key change: Hungary’s government plans to revise its adoption rules. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on September 12 that legislation introduced in 2020 would be changed, including the current political approval system affecting single applicants and same-sex couples.
The proposed reform follows years of controversy over Hungary’s adoption system. In 2020, the government of then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán changed the rules so that single applicants needed approval from the minister responsible for family affairs. Because same-sex couples cannot marry in Hungary, the measure effectively restricted the route previously available to couples in which one partner applied as a single person.
Magyar said adoption decisions should not be made by ministers or other politicians. Instead, psychologists, child-protection specialists and other professionals should assess whether an applicant can provide an appropriate environment for a particular child. He said the child’s ability to grow up in a supportive family should be central to the process.
A Hungarian government report on the country’s child-protection system has also identified adoption as an area requiring reform. The government says the current system is not functioning adequately and has been preparing amendments to the existing legislation. On September 15, it also submitted a broader bill addressing several anti-LGBTQ+ measures introduced under the previous government.
For same-sex couples, the proposed changes could remove a major administrative barrier to forming families through adoption. However, the government has not yet published all details on eligibility, professional assessments or implementation. Same-sex marriage remains unrecognised in Hungary, while registered civil partnerships are available to same-sex couples.
European Editorial Office: Lucas Bakker