Parents in Hungary before prison sentence: New draft for the protection of young people!

Parents in Hungary before prison sentence: New draft for the protection of young people!

Ungarn - On June 16, 2025, a new draft law will be discussed in Hungary, which aims to protect transident young people. Parents who reject or delay medical steps regarding their children could be proven with prison terms. This regulation encounters violent criticism, since many experts regard this as an interference with the right to educate. Proponents, on the other hand, argue that such a law is necessary to counter discrimination. The central question remains: How far can the state intervene in family decisions?

Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian Prime Minister, is again in conflict with the European Union. In particular with regard to the EU Commission, which deals with the support of Ukraine, migration policy and the LGBTQ law, Hungary opposes the European line. Observers ask the question of whether Orbán's actions aim at domestic calculation or whether they could be a fundamental strategic upheaval within Europe. During this tense political situation, the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj Vienna visits, which triggers debates about the neutrality of Austria and the political consequences of solidarity with Ukraine.

EU demands measures against Hungary

In the intergovernmental debate, 20 EU member countries, including Germany, asked the EU Commission on energetic measures against the Hungarian government. This request is based on a number of changes in the law in Hungary, which significantly restrict the rights of LGBTQ people. Your concern is to secure the state of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and data protection. The concrete concerns include fines for organizers of pride demonstrations and the introduction of automated face recognition at such events. In a joint explanation of “deep concern”, signatories have expressed this developments.

A decree of the Hungarian parliament recently adopted in March 2025 is the basis for possible future bans of events such as the Budapest Pride parade. The decree complements the existing meeting law and states that meetings are not allowed to violate the Child Protection Act, which many consider a hidden attack on LGBTQ events. Hungary's European Minister Janos Boka, however, rejected these allegations by declaring that there is no official ban. He has expressed his intention to bring EU colleagues closer to the legal foundations of Hungarian legislation in order to create a "more nuanced picture".

growing tensions in the EU

Regardless of these assertions, the new federal government in Germany has already caught a move with regard to the voting rights of Hungary at the EU level. European Minister Günther Krichbaum (CDU) emphasizes that patience to the Hungarian measures must end at some point. He emphasized that Hungary's government is in question of principles that are of essential importance for cohesion within the EU. A possible withdrawal of voting rights in accordance with Article 7 of the EU Treaty could be considered if a persistent violation of the rule of law is determined. Krichbaum makes it clear that this most extreme step is seen as the last remedy, but should not remain any measure.

Summary: Developments in Hungary not only represent a challenge for society there, but also bring new tensions within the European Union. In the midst of these political arguments, the question of the protection of the rights of LGBTQ people and the parent's rights of educational are in the foreground.