Hundreds of thousands gather to mark Budapest Pride despite Orban ban

Euronews

21 hours ago

Following the ban, Budapest Pride has taken on new meaning, becoming a powerful symbol of resistance against the government's ongoing restrictions on freedom of assembly and human rights.
Euronews journalists on the ground spoke with several attendees who said they had previously been indifferent - or even opposed - to Pride events, but chose to participate this year to stand up for civil liberties and show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
Greta Thunberg on Pride
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is in Budapest for Pride. In a video posted to her Instagram, she accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of making a desperate attempt to ban the event. Thunberg described Pride as both a protest and a celebration of love, calling the ban "another fascist attack on human rights."
Pride banned, far-right march allowed
While Pride was officially banned, police allowed a far-right march to go ahead. The far-right 64 Counties Youth Movement held an event on the same square in Budapest where Pride participants later gathered. Meanwhile, the Our Homeland Movement—a small far-right parliamentary party—announced a counter-march along the same route as the municipal Pride event. Both far-right events received police approval.
Pride without the main opposition leader - did Fidesz force Peter Magyar to go on holiday?
Peter Magyar is currently on holiday with his three sons. However he posted a strong message on Facebook about Pride saying:
"We build a country together, with all Hungarians, where it does not matter where you come from, what you believe in, who you love. I call all police officers to protect all Hungarian citizens from the arbitrariness of a fallen power."
Speculation circulated as to the "real" reason why he missed Pride. However Magyar explained it is because his sons play football so they had to organize their family holiday around summer sport camps.
Political analysts had warned that by banning Pride, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was likely attempting to provoke Péter Magyar, the leader of Hungary's new main opposition party, TISZA. The party's support base is diverse, bringing together people from across the political spectrum. Magyar has repeatedly emphasized that he aims to represent all Hungarians, not just one ideological side.
For Fidesz, forcing Magyar to take a clearer stance on liberal issues—such as LGBTQ+ rights—could be politically advantageous.
'Pride is already a success for Fidesz,' political analyst Zoltán Novák told Euronews, 'because they've managed to make the public debate revolve around an issue they own, framed in their language, and on a political topic where they enjoy majority support.'
As Fidesz continues to lose ground to its centre-right rival, the TISZA Party, it has struggled to counter the strategy of its challenger, Péter Magyar. His campaign has focused squarely on the everyday concerns of Hungarians—rising economic hardship, and the deteriorating state of healthcare and education—while contrasting them with the corruption scandals and growing wealth of the Fidesz elite, including members of Prime Minister Orbán's family.
This approach has triggered a sharp shift in public opinion. According to the latest poll by the reputable Median institute, TISZA now leads Fidesz by 15 percentage points. Meanwhile, government-aligned pollsters - normally active and vocal - have fallen into an unusual silence.
TISZA Party leader Péter Magyar—formerly married to Fidesz's ex-Justice Minister—has deliberately avoided polarizing political issues such as LGBTQ+ rights or topics that fail to resonate broadly with voters, like press freedom. Instead, he has focused on pressing, everyday concerns: inflation, corruption, the state of healthcare, and failing infrastructure, including Hungary's rail system.
According to political analyst Zoltán Novák, Fidesz introduced the so-called "Pride laws" in an attempt to corner Magyar into taking a stance that could alienate either conservative or liberal voters. While Magyar successfully sidestepped the trap, remnants of the liberal-green opposition stepped in to defend the issue—allowing Fidesz to partially regain control of the political narrative.