Hungary Moves To Scrap Orbán's Gay Adoption Restrictions as PM Magyar Puts Experts Over Politicians

After nearly 16 years of Orbán rule, Hungary is set to scrap restrictions that effectively blocked same-sex couples from adopting. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced changes to the government's adoption system on Saturday, 12 September 2026.

'We can state unequivocally that we will change this system: it should not be the minister, ​a politician... who makes the decision in such cases, but rather ​professionals capable of determining the conditions under which a given young child can ‌achieve a life that allows them to become a happy and harmonious member of society,' Magyar said.

Regulation Change

The planned change is a sharp contrast to what the previous government imposed between 2020 and 2026, under the leadership of Viktor Orbán. Magyar's Tisza Party won the April 2026 elections in a landslide over Orbán's Fidesz.

Magyar plans to dismantle many of Orbán's policies during his leadership. Changing the adoption rules is just one of the first steps. Orbán had stringent restrictions on same-sex and single-parent adoptions.

Adoptions basically favour married couples. The previous government also introduced constitutional and legal changes that defined mothers as women and fathers as men.

Loophole

Same-sex couples are not allowed to marry in Hungary, but are allowed to register their partnership. Before Orbán's strict 2020 adoption guidelines, same-sex couples could adopt a child by having one partner to apply as a single parent.

However, Orbán's administration closed this loophole through an order that required single applicants to receive a ministerial permit before they could adopt. The minister handling family policy would have to grant that permit.

Magyar's administration released a 220-page comprehensive child-protection report that explicitly states that the nation's child adoption system is on the verge of collapse. The report will then be used as a basis to overturn adoption rules.

Is Same-Sex Marriage Next?

Magyar didn't make any pronouncements about same-sex marriage, although many who welcomed the new adoption changes are hopeful that same-sex marriage could follow. Critics, meanwhile, fear the same thing.

'Love is a fundamental right. In a humane Hungary, everyone is free to love whom and how they wish, as long as this does not harm others or violate the law,' Magyar shared on social media a day after his press briefing. 'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'

While there was no mention of same-sex marriage, some social media users read between the lines. 'I'll translate: gender ideology gets the green light,' said lawyer Balázs Orbán, who served as political director for former prime minister Orbán—the two are not related.

Critics accused Magyar of showing his 'true leftist' side. But many were happy with the development. 'I agree. Legalising same-sex marriage in Hungary would be amazing,' one said on X. Another asked: 'Same-sex marriage in Hungary on the horizon??'

Another said: 'Hungary's Prime Minister Magyar is a devout Catholic, as well as a conservative politician. Magyar states that the state cannot interfere in who loves whom in Hungary, and that love is a fundamental right. You don't need to be leftist or faithless to defend LGBT+ rights. It is enough to have concerns for equality and justice.'