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Hungary’s Magyar dismantles Orbán’s anti-LGBTQ+ law. The EU unlocks €4.2 billion in funds
Hungary is gradually turning the page on the policies of the Orbán era. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Parliament approved a substantial amendment to the controversial 2021 “child protection” law, widely viewed as discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community.
The law, introduced under Viktor Orbán’s government, restricted the “portrayal” or “promotion” of sexual and gender diversity in content accessible to minors. In practice, even age-appropriate books addressing these topics could only be sold in sealed packaging with warning labels. Critics argued that the legislation stigmatised gay people by implicitly linking homosexuality to paedophilia.
On 21 April this year, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the law violated EU law, including the fundamental values set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.
The amendment passed on Tuesday removes the provisions that banned the representation or promotion of sexual and gender diversity in material aimed at minors, while retaining protections against content considered seriously harmful to children’s development. The measure was approved with the support of the governing majority by 139 votes in favour and 51 against.
The vote marks one of the first significant reversals of the previous government’s policies and is a direct consequence of Péter Magyar’s victory in the parliamentary elections last April, which ended Orbán’s 16 years in power. Magyar, himself a conservative and a hardliner on immigration, had pledged to break with some of his predecessor’s most controversial policies, particularly those concerning the media, the judiciary, and LGBTQ+ rights. The new prime minister has also committed to tackling what he calls rampant corruption and to dismantling the authoritarian structures built up under Orbán’s governments.
“We welcome this important signal of commitment towards our common values,” European Commissioners Michael McGrath and Hadja Lahbib said in a joint statement.
Also on Tuesday, the Council of the European Union approved the release of €4.2 billion in funds earmarked for Hungary, ending measures adopted in 2022 under the rule-of-law conditionality mechanism. The decision—distinct from the revision of the anti-LGBTQ+ law—followed a series of anti-corruption and transparency reforms introduced by the new government, which led the European Commission to propose lifting the restrictions on 23 September.
This article draws on reporting by EUalive’s partner FocusEurope.it
Caption: Illustrative photo. People participate in the LGBT Pride march on the Esplanade of the Ministries in Brasilia, Brazil, 26 July 2026. EPA/Andre Borges
