Budapest on Wednesday slammed as "a shame" comments by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that a new law in Hungary banning LGBTQ educational content for children went against European Union values.

"The statement by the president of the European Commission is a shame because it is based on false allegations," the government said in a statement, adding "it publishes a biased political opinion without a previously conducted, impartial inquiry".

Von der Leyen herself had already said  Wednesday that the new legislation passed through the Hungarian parliament on June 15 was a "shame".

"This bill clearly discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation," she told a media conference in Brussels, adding the commission would raise legal concerns over the law with Budapest.

Parliament on June 15 passed legislation banning the "promotion" of homosexuality to minors in what critics say is a crackdown on LGBTQ rights.

Calling von der Leyen's comments a shame three times, the Hungarian statement said the legislation "protects the rights of children".

It "guarantees the rights of parents and does not apply to the sexual orientation rights of those over 18 years of age, so it does not contain any discriminatory elements", the government added.

The issue is likely to elbow its way into an EU summit being held Thursday and Friday in Brussels, which Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, was scheduled to attend.

In recent years, Orban, who has ruled Hungary since 2010, has enacted a socially conservative policy agenda, shaping the EU member into what he calls a bastion against liberal ideologies.

He has often been at odds with Brussels, notably over the country's tough immigration policies.