Hungary’s Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, has announced that his government will remove restrictions introduced by the previous administration that prevented gay and lesbian people from adopting children.
Until 2020, same-sex couples could apply to adopt if one partner submitted an application as a single individual. The government of former prime minister Viktor Orbán changed the rules in 2020, requiring each adoption involving a same-sex applicant to receive ministerial approval. Critics argued the policy effectively prevented approvals for gay and lesbian applicants.
In May, the Magyar-led Tisza Party defeated Orbán’s conservative Fidesz party in a general election, bringing an end to one of Europe’s longest-serving political eras. Orbán served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and again from 2010 to 2026.
Magyar said decisions about whether prospective parents are suitable to adopt should be made by qualified professionals who can assess a child’s best interests and the conditions necessary for their development.
Hungary does not recognise same-sex marriage but does permit registered civil unions for same-sex couples.
