Interconnections between anti-immigration and pronatalist family policy discourse in Hungary

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the interrelationship between anti-immigration and pronatalist family policy discourses in Hungary. This case is particularly interesting as the government has implemented a range of measures to encourage families to have more children, emphasising national identity and cultural preservation. Meanwhile, immigration – despite its potential to mitigate population decline – is portrayed not as a solution but a threat. While Western European populists invoke gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights to defend a “progressive” European identity under threat from Islam, their Central and Eastern European counterparts depict migration as a major threat to traditional family structures and heteronormative values rooted in Christian-nationalist ideals.

To examine how these two policy domains intersect, we analysed 221 government speeches and articles published between 2014 and 2022. Using thematic analysis, we identified seven major topics. The predominant theme was that immigration cannot resolve demographic issues, instead advocating for policies that encourage Hungarian births. This central theme was supported by topics directly linked to it, such as the cultural threat of immigration and the will of the people, and by four subthemes less directly related, including sovereignty, labour market issues, deservingness, and security concerns. Our findings have broader implications for comparative research, shedding light on the dynamics of populist political systems and their influence on migration and family policy discourses. They also highlight arguments that may inhibit the acceptance of immigration as a source of population maintenance, offering insights into how such discourses could evolve in future populist contexts.