Hungary’s Parliament Enacts Controversial “Child Protection” Law
In a move that has drawn considerable attention, Hungary’s parliament, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his national-conservative Fidesz party, passed a contentious new legislation on Tuesday aimed at “child protection.” This law notably includes a ban on LGBT Pride marches, solidifying the government’s stance against what it deems “woke ideology.”
The legislation, an amendment to the Assembly Act, sailed through parliament with a decisive 136-27 vote, showcasing a unified front devoid of abstentions. It explicitly prohibits any assembly that contravenes what the government has categorized as child protection laws.
“Today, we voted to ban gatherings that violate child protection laws. In Hungary, a child’s right to healthy physical, mental, intellectual, and moral development comes first. We won’t let woke ideology endanger our kids,” Orbán declared on X following the vote, succinctly encapsulating his government’s rationale.
Child protection: ✅
Pride march: ❌Today, we voted to ban gatherings that violate child protection laws. In Hungary, a child’s right to healthy physical, mental, intellectual, and moral development comes first. We won’t let woke ideology endanger our kids.
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) March 18, 2025
The earlier Child Protection Act, which was enacted in 2024, already restricts the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality and gender reassignment for minors under 18, setting the stage for this latest legislative action.
❗️Hungary Bans LGBT Pride Marches from Public Spaces:
“We believe that the country should no longer tolerate Pride marching in the protection of our children”
-PM Orbán Viktor pic.twitter.com/QL0T1nF0rR— Based Hungary (@HungaryBased) March 3, 2025
The new amendment stipulates fines for participants in unauthorized events, ranging from 6,500 to 200,000 Hungarian forints (€16 to €502) — penalties that can’t be alleviated through community service or detention. Interestingly, the fines will be funneled into initiatives aimed at child protection.
In a striking move, the legislation also empowers authorities to utilize facial recognition technology to identify individuals at these newly illegal gatherings, including unauthorized Pride marches. Such measures have ignited a firestorm of criticism among pro-globalist liberal factions, both domestically and across Europe.
In a display of dissent, a small group of left-liberal lawmakers staged a symbolic protest within the parliament, deploying smoke bombs that filled the chamber with colorful plumes, visually underscoring their discontent with the new law.
‼️JUST IN: #Hungary‘s ruling party Fidesz-KDNP voted yes to ban the Pride march and impose fines on organisers and people attending the event .
Opposition party Momentum burnt smoke candles in Parliament to protest the measures. pic.twitter.com/4i6EhcsBcr
— Viktória Serdült (@viktoriaserdult) March 18, 2025
Máté Kocsis, the leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, defended the legislation in a recent press conference, asserting that child welfare is paramount. “Anyone who has children knows what the problem is with the Pride parade and its aftermath on social media and other public forums. I have three children, and I would not want them to see such content,” he stated. Kocsis further elaborated, suggesting that the organizers may be aware of the societal discomfort their events provoke.
Orbán has framed this legislation as a necessary bulwark against what he perceives as the pernicious influence of liberal ideologies and the moral decline associated with Pride celebrations in Western Europe. Gergely Gulyás, Orbán’s chief of staff, even suggested that indoor venues could serve as a compromise, allowing Pride events to occur without “exposing” children to them.
Critics, however, argue that this move represents a strategic repression of LGBT rights, aimed at galvanizing electoral support for Orbán’s government ahead of the critical parliamentary elections next year. The Budapest Pride organization has gone so far as to label the new law as “fascism,” while vowing to proceed with their planned event on June 28th, despite the legal obstacles.
“The government is attempting to curb peaceful protests that challenge its narrative by targeting a minority. We, as a movement, will advocate for the rights of all Hungarians to demonstrate!” declared Pride spokesperson Mate Hegedus. He added that the willingness of people to attend Budapest Pride remains strong, even with the threat of fines looming.
Echoing this sentiment, Budapest’s left-liberal mayor, Gergely Karácsony, remarked to Politico Europe: “Whatever anyone says, there will be Pride in Budapest this June. It may even be bigger than ever before.”
