One of Europe’s most rigorous animal protection laws in Hungary

The justice ministry has set up a foundation for enhancing animal welfare and protection in Hungary.

Government sets up animal welfare foundation

The foundation aims to promote animal welfare and responsible animal husbandry, and to strengthen cooperation with relevant NGOs, the justice minister told a press conference on Thursday, introducing the Animal Protection Our Joint Cause Foundation. Judit Varga noted that Hungary recently passed one of Europe’s most rigorous animal protection laws in response to a survey in which 260,000 contributed their views. The law has broadened the definition of animal torture, she said.

The foundation is the first of its kind in Hungary aiming to involve everyone with long-standing experience in animal welfare, including civil groups, experts, the authorities and local councils, Varga said. The government has donated 250 million forints to the foundation, the minister noted.

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Family support includes help for single parents

The government’s support programmes for families also cover single parents, the justice minister told a conference on the subject on Thursday.
Judit Varga said that assisting families was “something like a maternal instinct” for the government, which was “constantly fine-tuning” the system. The minister noted that the government plans to submit a bill tightening up the child protection law to parliament during its spring season. Children are “sacred and inviolable” in Hungary, she added.

The minister said Hungary spent 6.2 percent of GDP on family support in 2021, which she called a world record, adding that many countries had showed an interest in the Hungarian system. The government has made the child support more client-friendly and single parents would be helped “in every possible way.”

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Source: MTI