Latest news with #Budapest
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Record numbers expected at Budapest Pride march despite attempts to ban it
Update: Date: 2025-06-28T07:20:58.000Z Title: Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbán's rollback of rights Content: Good morning and welcome to the Europe live blog. My name is Tom Ambrose and I'll be bringing you all the latest news lines. We start with news that record numbers of people are expected to take part in Budapest Pride on Saturday. Hungarians will join forces with campaigners and politicians from across Europe in the march that has become a potent symbol of pushback against the Hungarian government's steady rollback of rights. 'This weekend, all eyes are on Budapest,' Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for equality, told reporters in the Hungarian capital on Friday. 'This is bigger than one Pride celebration, one Pride march. 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.' The country's main Pride march was cast into doubt earlier this year after the country's ruling Fidesz party – led by the rightwing populist Viktor Orbán – backed legislation that created a legal basis for Pride to be banned, citing a widely criticised need to protect children. The government also said it would use facial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events, potentially fining them up to €500 (£425). The move caused outrage from within Hungary and beyond, turning Budapest Pride into a rallying cry against a government that has long faced criticism for weakening democratic institutions and gradually undermining the rule of law. Read the full story here: In other developments: Severe weather warnings have been issued across southern Europe, including in Italy, Spain and Portugal, with temperatures expected to get close to or locally even above 40C this weekend, prompting concerns about health hazards and wildfires (14:32). Expected temperatures on early Saturday afternoon: Madrid 38C, Thessaloníki 38C, Florence 38C, Rome 37C, Lisbon 36C, Tirana 36C, Athens 35C. It will be hot in Paris (32C) and still warm in London and Berlin 28C, and in Brussels 27C. European leaders failed to agree on the latest, 18th, package of sanctions at last night's European Council meeting in Brussels, with Hungary and Slovakia holding firm in their opposition to the proposed measures. But it's worth noting that the EU has agreed on rolling over the already existing sanctions against Russia, which were due to expire. In Germany, lawmakers agreed to suspend family reunification rights for refugees without asylum status as conservative chancellor Friedrich Merz's government pursues a crackdown on immigration. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Estonia's stated intention to let Nato allies' nuclear-capable aircraft use its territory was a direct threat to Moscow.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Budapest Pride to challenge Orban's ban in Hungary
A record number of people are expected to attend Saturday's Pride march in the Hungarian capital Budapest, defying a ban that marks an unprecedented regression of LGBTQ rights in the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition amended laws and the constitution earlier this year to prohibit the annual celebration, justifying his years-long clampdown on LGBTQ rights on "child protection" grounds. While Orban has been emboldened by the anti-diversity offensive of US President Donald Trump, his own initiatives have drawn protests at home and condemnation from the EU and rights groups. The nationalist leader on Friday said that while police would not "break up" the 30th edition of the Pride march, those who took part should be aware of "legal consequences". Despite the risk of a fine, more than 35,000 people are expected to gather at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) near Budapest's city hall, an hour before the march begins. Ministers from several EU countries, and dozens of European lawmakers are expected to attend in defiance of the ban, reminiscent of that in Moscow in 2006 and Istanbul in 2015. "We're not just standing up for ourselves... If this law isn't overturned, eastern Europe could face a wave of similar measures," Pride organiser Viktoria Radvanyi said. - Freshly installed cameras - Earlier this week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called on the Hungarian authorities to reverse the ban. Thirty-three countries have also spoken up in support of the march. While parade organisers risk up to a year in prison, attendees can face fines up to 500 euros ($580). The latest legal changes empower the authorities to use facial-recognition technology to identify those who take part. Freshly installed cameras have appeared on lamp posts along the planned route of the march. However, opposition Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony has insisted that no attendee can face any reprisals as the march -- co-organised by the city hall this time -- is a municipal event and does not require police approval. "The police have only one task tomorrow, and it is a serious one: to ensure the safety of Hungarian and European citizens attending the event," Karacsony said during a briefing with visiting EU equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib. Far-right groups have announced multiple counterprotests along the planned route of the procession. Justice Minister Bence Tuzson this week sent a letter to EU embassies cautioning diplomats and staff against participating because of the police ban. Several EU countries have informed their citizens of the potential of fines through travel advisories. - 'Polarising society' - Since Orban's return to power in 2010, the country of 9.6 million people has been steadily rolling back LGBTQ rights. Legal changes have effectively barred same-sex couples from adopting children, prevented transgender people from changing their name or gender in official documents, and a 2021 law forbade the "display and promotion" of homosexuality to under-18s. This March, lawmakers passed a bill targeting the annual Pride march, amending the 2021 law to prohibit any gathering violating its provisions. A month later, parliament also adopted a constitutional change to strengthen the legal foundations for the ban. "Orban is employing a tried-and-tested recipe ahead of next year's election by generating a conflict," political analyst Daniel Mikecz told AFP. Orban was "polarising society", he added. Voter opinion polls suggest Orban's Fidesz party has been losing ground to the opposition. The first Pride march was held in 1970 in New York to mark the anniversary of the city's Stonewall riots in June 1969, which sparked the gay rights movement. ros/jza/jj/ach
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbán's rollback of rights
Record numbers of people are expected to take part in Budapest Pride on Saturday, with Hungarians joining forces with campaigners and politicians from across Europe in a march that has become a potent symbol of pushback against the Hungarian government's steady rollback of rights. 'This weekend, all eyes are on Budapest,' Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for equality, told reporters in the Hungarian capital on Friday. 'This is bigger than one Pride celebration, one Pride march. 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.' The country's main Pride march was cast into doubt earlier this year after the country's ruling Fidesz party – led by the rightwing populist Viktor Orbán – backed legislation that created a legal basis for Pride to be banned, citing a widely criticised need to protect children. The government also said it would use facial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events, potentially fining them up to €500 (£425). The move caused outrage from within Hungary and beyond, turning Budapest Pride into a rallying cry against a government that has long faced criticism for weakening democratic institutions and gradually undermining the rule of law. Lahbib said the EU was standing alongside LGBTQ+ people. 'It is a core value to gather peacefully, to be who you are, to love who you want,' she said. 'These are the core values that generations before us have built, brick by brick, and we are not going to allow any kind of regression from one of our member states.' Organisers of Budapest Pride, which this year will mark its 30th anniversary, said the government was attempting to restrict peaceful protests by targeting them. 'This event was one of the important milestones of the LGBTQ community,' said its spokesperson Máté Hegedüs. 'Our slogan this year is that we are at home. By this, we want to draw attention to the fact that LGBTQ people are an integral part of Hungarian society, just as any other people. In our history, in our culture, this is where we belong.' Hours before the march was due to begin, however, uncertainty loomed over how officials would react. While Orbán has said that those who attend or organise the march will face 'legal consequences', he said Hungary was a 'civilised country' and police would not 'break it up … It cannot reach the level of physical abuse'. Nicolae Ștefănuță, the vice-president of the European parliament, on Friday called on police to respect those attending. 'I would like to say that the police and institutions of the state have a duty to protect the citizens,' he said. 'It's as clear as possible.' The sentiment was echoed in a petition, signed by more than 120,000 people spanning 73 countries, that called on police to 'reject this unjust law' – believed to be the first of its kind in the EU's recent history – and ensure that the march proceeded 'unhindered and peacefully, free from discrimination, harassment, fear or violence'. Despite uncertainty, tens of thousands of Hungarians are expected to take part. Joining them will be politicians and rights campaigners from more than 30 countries, including Ireland's former taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Spain's minister of culture, Ernest Urtasun, more than 70 members of the European parliament, and the mayors of Brussels and Amsterdam. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, this week joined calls for Hungarian authorities to allow the event to go ahead. Orbán was swift to hit back, likening it to receiving orders from Moscow in communist times. 'She thinks she can dictate to Hungarians from Brussels how they should live,' he said in a radio interview. The widespread pushback, both domestic and international, had seemingly done little to dissuade the Hungarian government. This week, the country's justice minister, Bence Tuzson, appeared to warn embassy staff from attending the event. 'The legal situation is clear: the Pride parade is a legally banned assembly,' he said in a letter seen by the Guardian. 'Those who take part in an event prohibited by the authorities commit an infraction,' he said, adding that those organising or announcing the event faced up to a year in prison. The progressive mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, has said the gathering will instead go ahead as a municipal event, meaning it will not require official authorisation. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The result was an 'extraordinary scenario', said Márta Pardavi of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation. 'Currently the legal situation is quite unclear – it is unclear whether this will be a demonstration that the police have banned or whether it will be some other type of event, as Mayor Karácsony has talked about.' The NGO has joined forces with two other organisations to produce a Q&A for the event, addressing concerns such as whether attenders risk being fired from their jobs and whether being fined could later jeopardise university entrance or foreign travel. The organisations have also promised to provide legal aid to any participants who are fined. Complicating matters were three countermarches planned on Saturday by groups with ties to the extreme right, said Pardavi. 'This means you will have a lot of people with very, very different views on the streets,' she said. Analysts have described the government's hardline stance against Pride as another move in its years-long rollback of LGBTQ+ rights. This time, however, it comes as Orbán faces an unprecedented challenge from a former member of the Fidesz party's elite, Péter Magyar, before next year's elections, leading organisers to suggest they are being scapegoated as Orbán scrambles to shore up support among conservative voters. The widespread view has led Hungarians from all walks of life – including many who have never marched before – to take part in Saturday's event. 'These are the actions of a government in the run-up to an election they fear they will lose, so they are trying to distract public attention from their deep corruption and unpopularity,' said Andrew Ryder, who is among a group of academics from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest who will be joining the march in solidarity. 'I am deeply concerned that my home, Hungary, is on a trajectory that will lead to fascism,' he said. 'However, the mood of the country is turning and if Hungary can restore its democracy it could be a model for other countries trying to overcome authoritarianism.' Nearly 50 organisations from across Europe have meanwhile urged EU officials to launch an infringement procedure against Hungary, citing the possibility that real-time facial recognition would be used on attenders. If so, it would be a 'glaring violation' of the EU's recently adopted Artificial Intelligence Act, the letter noted. Hungarian officials have yet to release details on how the technology will be deployed. 'Hungary's use of facial recognition to surveil Pride events marks a worrying change in how new technologies can be used to suppress dissent and target marginalised communities,' the Civil Liberties Union for Europe, one of the signatories of the letter, said in a statement. It said it risked a 'dangerous precedent by normalising invasive monitoring of peaceful gatherings and undermining civil liberties'.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hungary Pride to go ahead, defying Orban threat of 'legal consequences'
A Budapest Pride march is expected to go ahead on Saturday, defying Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's legal threats against LGBTQ rights activists. The march organisers hope for a record attendance this year, despite mounting pressure from nationalist conservative politicians and police to stop any display of pro-LGBTQ material. Police have issued a ban, in line with a new "child protection" law that restricts gatherings considered to be promoting homosexuality. A day before the Pride, Orban downplayed the possibility of violent clashes between the police and participants - but warned those who go to face the possible legal repercussions. "Of course, the police could break up such events, because they have the authority to do so, but Hungary is a civilised country, a civic society. We don't hurt each other," Orban told state radio on Friday. "There will be legal consequences, but it cannot reach the level of physical abuse." Attendees risk a fine of up to €500 (£427; $586), with police empowered to use facial recognition technology to identify them. Organisers could face a one-year prison sentence. EU equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib, a former Belgian foreign minister, is in Budapest and expected to join the march, along with dozens of MEPs. On Friday, Lahbib posted a picture showing her standing with the liberal Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony in front of a rainbow flag symbolising gay rights. The Pride march "will be a powerful symbol of the strength of the civil society," she wrote on X. Ahead of the Pride, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked the Orban government not to block the march. Orban was unfazed, asking her "to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs" of EU member countries.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Hungary Pride to go ahead, as PM Orban threatens 'legal consequences'
A Budapest Pride march is expected to go ahead on Saturday, defying Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's legal threats against LGBTQ rights march organisers hope for a record attendance this year, despite mounting pressure from nationalist conservative politicians and police to stop any display of pro-LGBTQ have issued a ban, in line with a new "child protection" law that restricts gatherings considered to be promoting homosexuality.A day before the Pride, Orban downplayed the possibility of violent clashes between the police and participants - but warned those who go to face the possible legal repercussions. "Of course, the police could break up such events, because they have the authority to do so, but Hungary is a civilised country, a civic society. We don't hurt each other," Orban told state radio on Friday."There will be legal consequences, but it cannot reach the level of physical abuse."Attendees risk a fine of up to €500 (£427; $586), with police empowered to use facial recognition technology to identify could face a one-year prison equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib, a former Belgian foreign minister, is in Budapest and expected to join the march, along with dozens of MEPs. On Friday, Lahbib posted a picture showing her standing with the liberal Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony in front of a rainbow flag symbolising gay Pride march "will be a powerful symbol of the strength of the civil society," she wrote on of the Pride, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked the Orban government not to block the was unfazed, asking her "to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs" of EU member countries.
