Orban Touts Anti-Ukraine Survey to Boost His Flagging Campaign
Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed the result of a government survey that showed Hungarians overwhelmingly against Ukraine's European Union accession, and which critics derided as propaganda aimed at reversing his fading popularity.
Orban said 95% of Hungarians backed his opposition to Ukraine joining the EU in the government's 'national consultation.' The result followed a months-long information campaign vilifying President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, including on billboards put up across Hungary.
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UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
Record turnout anticipated for Budapest Pride march
Tens of thousands of people gathered at the Budapest Pride march despite a law passed earlier this year banning Pride events. Photo by Zoltan Balogh Hungary Out/EPA June 28 (UPI) -- Saturday's Budapest Pride march is expected to have drawn record attendance and participation in opposition to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's anti-LGBTQ policies. The parade is being held in the Hungarian capital amid threats of legal consequences by Orban and the Hungarian government, including a ban on gatherings that promote homosexuality, the BBC reported. Hungary's child protection law restricts such gatherings, but Pride march organizers are being joined by Hungarians and politicians from other European nations to support those who identify as LGBTQ. "This weekend, all eyes are on Budapest," European equality commissioner Hadja Lahbib told media in Budapest on Friday. "This is bigger than one Pride celebration, one Pride march," Lahbib said. "It is about the right to be who you are, to love who you want, whether it is in Budapest, in Brussels or anywhere else." March organizers expected between 35,000 to 40,000 people to participate in the march, but the BBC reported said organizers estimated as many as 200,000 people showed up. Orban and Hungary's Fidesz party earlier this year enacted the nation's child protection law and have said it applies to the Pride march and similar events. The law also bans the display of LGBTQ promotional materials, which might include the rainbow flag. Orban has said there won't be a violent police crackdown on the event, but organizers and participants might be subject to legal prosecution afterward. Facial recognition technology could identify participants, each of whom could be fined up to $500. "The police could break up such events because they have the authority to do so," Orban told state-run radio on Friday. "Hungary is a civilized society [and] a civic society," Orban continued. "There will be legal consequences, but it cannot reach the level of physical abuse." Event participants waved Pride flags and signs mocking Orban, including at least one depicting the prime minister in drag.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
A hard-liner follows a fellow right-winger as head of Greece's migration and asylum ministry
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thousands defy ban to join Pride march in Budapest
If Hungary's authorities thought banning this year's Pride march would keep people off the streets, they were wrong. Thousands turned out in Budapest, defying a law which said events like this should be cancelled to protect children. The crowd was determined to fight for their rights. "This is a special march, not just because it was the 30th, but also because it was banned," said Orsi, who proudly wore a rainbow headband and waved a rainbow flag. "I mean that's all the more reason to go out on the street and show that Budapest and is a place where everybody is welcome, where love is equal," she added. Attendees had been warned that just being there could mean a 500 euro fine or prison time for the organisers. They were told police would use facial recognition cameras to identify them, but they didn't care. Orsi said it was worth a fine. Leonas had travelled from Poland to show his support and was also happy to take the risk. "LGBT rights are attacked across the whole world, and we need to defend each other and work with each other," he said. government has repeatedly pitched family values against LGBTQ+ rights. "The mother is a woman, the father is a man and leave our kids alone," he told conservative audiences in the past. He says he is protecting Hungary's Christian values, but critics say this is just part of a wider attack on democracy which has happened during his 15 years in control. The Pride ban is just the latest . In 2020, the country abolished its legal recognition of transgender people, and in 2021, politicians passed a law banning the depiction of homosexuality to under-18s. While many were outraged by the attempt to cancel the Pride march, a small number of far-right activists organised demonstrations to show their support: "Hungary and the Hungarian nation don't want the aggressive LGBTQ+ propaganda. They are dangerous for our families, they are dangerous for our kids," said Gabor Kelemen, a member of the 64 Counties Youth Movement. However, the packed streets showed many disagree. At one point, as far as the eye could see, the march snaked through streets and across the city's bridges. The sound of drums and whistles mixing with gay anthems blaring out of speakers. The organisers said they believed this will be the largest Pride march ever in Budapest. Read more from Sky News: The crowd was eclectic, with Hungarians from different communities joining a demonstration which many believe is now part of a fight for Hungary's future. "This is not only about the complexity of Pride, not only about love or equality... for Hungarians, it's about sticking together, supporting each other, showing the government that we believe in a different kind of Hungary. We believe in freedom, we believe in democracy," said activist Adam Kanicsar. Despite the ban, today Pride attendees were celebrating a victory. But make no mistake, many in Hungary do not support the parade or what they see as an attack on traditional values. Next year, the country will hold a general election, a vote which will expose how divided Hungary really is.
