Despite an unusually tight deadline, Hungary has responded in full to the European Commission’s questions regarding Hungary’s new child protection law adopted last month, Justice Minister Judit Varga wrote on her Facebook page.
“Although two months would normally be available, we were granted only one week from the Commission to respond to hypocritical concerns. The whole thing is taking on the look of a continuous, never-ending conceptual lawsuit. We met the deadline and promptly sent our thorough replies to the Commission”, Varga wrote.
In Hungary’s official response, Varga spelled out that the provision challenged by the Commission concerned the protection of minor children and the upbringing of Hungarian children, an issue that falls squarely within the context of national competence, she added.
“Neither the Brussels Commission nor any other European body can prescribe how Hungarians should live or think, or how Hungarian parents should raise their children in Hungary”, Varga wrote, adding that “No one shall obtain or compel parents to obtain sexually explicit information about their child without that parents’ express consent.”
According to the government, minor children should be protected from sexually explicit or age-inappropriate content in the media or on the Internet, and informative lectures should be given only by suitably qualified persons and organizations, with the express consent of the parent and with prior knowledge of the parent.
“In Hungary, we consider it important that no one but the parents should be involved in the sexual education of children”, Varga wrote. “Therefore, the law prohibits sexual propaganda against children, whether it be heterosexual or homosexual propaganda.” She added that this stance is in line with the EU Charter and does not infringe on anyone’s rights to sexual self-expression, as it does not apply to adults.
“Hungary is a free country–the state does not have a say in the lives of adult Hungarian citizens!” Varga concluded.
Title image: Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga. (source: Facebook)
