Justice minister: Brussels can’t tell Hungarians how to raise their children

The law is about the protection of minors and how Hungarian children are raised, the ministry said in a statement, citing its response letter to the EC.

Neither the EC nor any other European body has the authority to tell anyone in Hungary how they should live, think, or raise their children, the ministry said. Hungarian children cannot receive sex education without the full consent of the parents, it added.

The government believes children should be protected from content inappropriate for their age and that they should only receive sex education from qualified organisations or people with the consent of their parents, the statement said.

Only parents can decide on the sexual education of their children, the ministry said. “This is why the law prohibits exposing children to both heterosexual and homosexual propaganda,” it added.

The ministry insisted that this part of the law was in line with the founding document of the European Union and was not in violation of anyone’s right to sexual self-expression, as it does not apply to adults.

“Hungary is a free country, and the state does not interfere in the lives of its adult citizens,” the statement said.