Hungary’s Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) has rejected the idea of allowing same-sex couples to adopt children, responding to Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s announcement that his government plans to change the country’s adoption rules.

Same-sex couples may be allowed to adopt under new rules

Bence Rétvári, leader of KDNP’s parliamentary group, said on Facebook on Sunday that the party would not support adoption by same-sex couples, MTI reported.

The remarks came after Magyar said on Saturday that adoption legislation would be changed as part of a broader reform of Hungary’s child protection system.

“Experts, not ministers, should decide on such matters — people who can determine what circumstances best help children grow into happy and balanced members of society,” Magyar said.

A day later, the prime minister also wrote that “love and affection are a fundamental right”, adding that in a humane Hungary everyone should be free to love whomever they choose, provided they do not harm others or violate the law.

Under the rules introduced in 2020, unmarried people can adopt only with special ministerial approval. Since same-sex marriage is not recognised in Hungary, the system has effectively prevented same-sex couples from adopting jointly.

Earlier: PM Péter Magyar: ‘Love is a fundamental right’ in Hungary

KDNP insists children need a mother and a father

Rétvári said adoption was “primarily about the children, not the adults”, arguing that an increasing number of heterosexual couples struggling with infertility are waiting to become parents.

According to the KDNP politician, children need “loving parents, a mother and a father”, and the party will therefore continue to oppose adoption by same-sex couples.

Rétvári also linked the dispute to Hungary’s relationship with the European Union. He claimed that some EU funds had remained frozen because Hungary previously refused to comply with what he described as progressive ideological demands from Brussels and international organisations.

He went on to accuse Magyar of “opening the door to ideological colonisation” and said the prime minister had “openly become a gender activist.”

The exchange marks another sharp political clash over LGBTQ rights, just days after Magyar signalled that his government intends to reverse parts of the adoption system introduced during Viktor Orbán’s time in office.

Read more from us: Péter Magyar’s remarks point to a radical U-turn on same-sex couples’ right to adopt