Hungary to Scrap De Facto Ban on Adoption by Same-Sex Couples

Hungary's government plans to overhaul a 2020 law, introduced under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, that effectively barred same-sex couples from adopting children. The announcement was made by the country's new prime minister, Péter Magyar, according to Reuters.

Until the end of 2020, adoption by same-sex couples in Hungary was technically possible if one partner applied as a single individual. But Orbán's conservative Fidesz party then pushed through a law requiring the family affairs minister to personally approve any adoption application from a single person. In practice, this turned into an outright ban, as the minister simply withheld approval in every case.

What the New Prime Minister Promises

"We can say clearly that we will change this system. In such cases, the decision should not rest with a minister or a politician, but with specialists capable of assessing the conditions under which a child can grow up to be a happy, well-adjusted member of society," Magyar said at a press conference.

Péter Magyar won a decisive election victory over Orbán in April, ending the latter's 16-year hold on power.

Orbán's Legacy

For years, Viktor Orbán cast himself as a defender of so-called Christian values against Western liberalism. Under his leadership, Hungary passed laws banning changes to gender markers on official documents, effectively blocking adoption by same-sex couples, and prohibiting school materials deemed to promote homosexuality or gender transition.

Hungary has never legalized same-sex marriage, but it continues to recognize registered partnerships.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz