BUDAPEST - Hungary’s Justice Minister said late on Wednesday that Budapest would fight in the Court of Justice of the European Union to defend an education law that Brussels says discriminates against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Justice Minister Judit Varga said in a Facebook post that she had submitted a counterclaim to the court because the government would stick to its stance that education was a matter for national governments to decide.

In June 2021, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law banning the use of materials seen as promoting homosexuality and gender change at schools.

The government said the law aims to protect children, not target the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“Just as we have done so far, we will go to the wall if it’s about protecting our children,” Ms Varga said.

She added that upholding the legislation was necessary and further measures would be taken. She did not specify what they would be.

The stand-off comes at a time when Brussels has suspended the disbursement of billions of euros of much-needed EU funds to Hungary until Budapest implements reforms to improve judicial independence and tackle corruption.

The European Commission referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU over the anti-LGBT law in mid-2022.

The commission has said it considers the law to be in violation of the EU’s internal market rules, the fundamental rights of individuals and EU values. REUTERS