Latest news with #Karácsony
Euronews
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Geert Wilders accuses Budapest mayor of Nazi salute during Pride march
Dutch far-right firebrand Geert Wilders slammed Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony for supposedly making a Nazi salute during Saturday's Pride march in the Hungarian capital, based on a video that showed the mayor pointing toward the Hungarian prime minister's residence. Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), posted the allegation on social media, claiming Karácsony made "an antisemitic Nazi gesture" while Amsterdam's mayor "stood laughing behind him." Meanwhile, the Budapest mayor posted a different video on his Facebook account showing the speech from another camera angle. The footage shows Karácsony addressing the crowd while pointing toward Budapest's Carmelite monastery, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's official residence, saying, "They have no power over us." Some 200,000 people reportedly attended Saturday's Pride march in Budapest, making it the largest in the event's history, according to organisers. The Hungarian government attempted to block the Pride event in March by amending its laws in what it claimed were concerns over the protection of minors, to much furore from Brussels and European and international LGBTQ+ organisations. However, the Budapest municipality circumvented the restrictions by organising it as a municipal event rather than a public assembly. Wilders led his PVV party to victory in Dutch parliamentary elections in November 2023. After months of coalition negotiations, he helped form a four-party right-wing government in May 2024, but withdrew from the coalition in early June due to disagreements over immigration policy. The PVV is known for its anti-immigration platform and has faced criticism for inflammatory rhetoric regarding minority communities.
NBC News
28-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Hungary's LGBTQ+ community defies government ban on Pride march
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary's LGBTQ+ community is preparing for a face-off with the country's autocratic government, and plans to push ahead with a march in the capital on Saturday despite a government ban and threats of legal repercussions. The populist party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in March fast-tracked a law through parliament that made it an offense to hold or attend events that 'depict or promote' homosexuality to minors aged under 18. Orbán earlier made clear that Budapest Pride — marking its 30th anniversary this year — was the explicit target of the law. But on Friday, Pride organizers along with Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and Vice President of the European Parliament Nicolae Stefanuta said the march will take place Saturday despite official threats of heavy fines for participants and even jail time for the liberal mayor. They expect the march to be the largest ever Pride event in Hungary. 'The government is always fighting against an enemy against which they have to protect Hungarian people ... This time, it is sexual minorities that are the target,' Karácsony told a news conference. 'We believe there should be no first and second class citizens, so we decided to stand by this event.' A crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights Critics of the Pride ban and other Hungarian legislation targeting LGBTQ+ communities say the policies are reminiscent of similar restrictions against sexual minorities in Russia. Hungary's recent law allows authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify individuals that attend a prohibited event. Being caught could result in fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($586.) Orbán, seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the European Union, has in recent years prohibited same-sex adoption and banned any LGBTQ+ content including in television, films, advertisements and literature that is available to minors. His government argues exposure to such content negatively affects children's development. But opponents say the moves are part of a broader effort to scapegoat sexual minorities and consolidate his conservative base. Fines and facial recognition After police rejected several requests by organizers to register the Pride march, citing the recent law, Karácsony joined with organizers and declared it would be held as a separate municipal event — something he said does not require police approval. But Hungary's government has remained firm, insisting that holding the Pride march, even if it is sponsored by the city, would be unlawful. In a video on Facebook this week, Hungary's justice minister, Bence Tuzson, warned Karácsony that organizing Pride or encouraging people to attend is punishable by up to a year in prison. At the news conference Friday, Karácsony sought to dispel fears that police would impose heavy fines on Pride attendees. 'Police have only one task tomorrow: to guarantee the safety and security of those gathered at the event,' he said. Speaking to state radio on Friday, Orbán said that attending Pride 'will have legal consequences, but it can't reach the level of physical abuse.' 'The police could disperse such events, they have the right to do so. But Hungary is a civilized country,' he said. Right-wing counter-demonstrations On Thursday, radical right-wing party Our Homeland Movement announced it had requested police approval to hold assemblies at numerous locations across the city, many of them on the same route as the Pride march. Later, a neo-Nazi group said it too would gather Saturday at Budapest City Hall, from which the Pride march is set to depart. The group declared that only 'white, Christian, heterosexual men and women' were welcome to attend its demonstration. European officials respond Hungary's Pride ban has prompted a backlash from many of the country's partners and allies. Over 30 foreign embassies signed a joint statement this week expressing their commitment to 'every person's rights to equal treatment and nondiscrimination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social platform X on Wednesday, calling on Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to proceed 'without fear of any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organizers or participants.' More than 70 members of the European Parliament, as well as other officials from countries around Europe, are expected to participate in Saturday's march. Lahbib, the European Commissioner, said Friday that 'all eyes are on Budapest' as Pride marchers defy the government's ban. 'The EU is not neutral on hate,' she said. 'We cannot stay passive. We cannot tolerate what is intolerable.'
RTÉ News
28-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Budapest Pride parade will go ahead despite ban
Budapest's mayor Gergely Karácsony has said that tomorrow's Budapest Pride parade will go ahead as planned despite a ban by Hungarian authorities. Speaking at a press conference this afternoon at Budapest City Hall, Mr Karácsony said that Hungary had become a "laboratory" for "breaking down" democracy over the past 15 years, a reference to Fidesz party rule since 2010. "If, in a European member country, a Pride march can be banned, then no European voters can feel safe," said Mr Karácsony, a member of the Hungarian Green Party. "This case belongs to all of Europe and has become a European affair, and no one can be a second class citizen in Hungary and the European Union," he added. Mr Karácsony said that more than 30 countries will be represented by MEPs and national politicians at tomorrow's parade, which will start at 2pm local time. He argued that events organised by municipalities are not subject to Hungary's amended Assembly Law, the act used by the government to ban this year's Pride. Joining Mr Karácsony at the press conference, European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib said that she had come to Hungary "to uphold our European values of dignity and humanity". "Over decades we have built our union, a European home, brick by brick and we will defend it brick by brick," said Ms Lahbib, adding that "all eyes were on Budapest" this weekend. Speaking on Hungarian public radio this morning, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said there would be "legal consequences" for those who organise and attend the parade. "It is not the job of the police to use physical force, but to persuade people to follow the law," said Mr Orban. "Of course, there are cases when the police must use force, for instance against criminals, but that is not what this is about". Budapest Pride ban at centre of Viktor Orbán's culture war The parade is expected to be attended by tens of thousands of members of Hungary's LGBTQ+ community tomorrow as it is every year. Adam Kanicsár, a 35-year-old Hungarian LGBTQ+ activist and journalist, says all his friends have "a plan B" to leave Hungary if the current Christian-conservative government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wins the country's parliamentary election next year. "What we have learnt in Hungary is that there is a new bottom line every day," Mr Kanicsár told RTÉ News from his home in Budapest. For him, last week's decision by Budapest police to ban tomorrow's annual Pride parade in the city marks a "new low point" for Mr Orbán's Fidesz party, which has governed Hungary since 2010. Mr Kanicsár plans to attend Pride tomorrow with friends, along with many other thousands of people from Hungary's LGBTQ+ community who intend to defy the ban on the annual parade, celebrating its 30th edition this year. By banning the parade, Budapest police say they are enforcing an amendment to Hungary's Assembly Act, passed last March by the Hungarian parliament where Fidesz has a two-thirds majority. It is expected that more than 70 MEPs will attend tomorrow's parade in Budapest in support of Hungary's LGBTQ+ community. European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib and Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Michael O'Flaherty, will attend. Green Party Roderic O'Gorman will also travel to the Hungarian capital for the parade to support its organisers, including the mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony, who is a member of the Hungarian Green Party. "I think it's really important to show solidarity in light of the seriousness of what's happening with the banning of a Pride parade," Mr O'Gorman said. "We've seen the Hungarian government chip away at the rights of the LGBT+ community over the last number of years and they've used the same kind of playbook that we've seen far-right authoritarian regimes use elsewhere, linking restrictions to the LGBT+ community with child protection," he added. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Gorman said he was invited by the mayor of Budapest, who is a member of the Hungarian Green party. He said: "Interestingly, while the national government have banned the Pride Parade, they've given permission to a number of far right organisations, and one paramilitary organisation to make counter demonstrations across the city. So I think it kind of shows what their what their priorities are". Last month, Ireland was one of 20 EU member states to sign a joint statement accusing Hungary of contravening fundamental EU values by passing laws that target LGBTQ+ people. A potential ban on Pride was first mentioned by Mr Orbán in late February, during his annual state of the union address, when he said that Pride organisers should "not bother preparing for this year's parade". The bill, passed by parliament in March and signed into law in April, made it illegal to hold public assemblies that breach Hungary's Child Protection Law from 2021, an act that prohibits the depiction or promotion of homosexuality and gender transition to minors across all forms of content, including films, books and advertisements. The 2021 law, also dubbed the 'propaganda law', was widely criticised by Hungary's liberal opposition and human rights NGOs in Hungary and across Europe as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In order to copper-fasten the Assembly Law amendment, last April, parliament also passed amendments to Hungary's Fundamental Law, the country's constitution, outlining that the rights of a child "take precedence over all other fundamental rights, except the right to life". That change meant that Hungary's legal definition of children's rights superseded the right to assembly, effectively banning Pride events. "The 'propaganda law' only limited freedom of speech but now the right of assembly is also affected," said Dr Eszter Polgári, a lawyer at the Háttér Society, a Hungarian LGBTQ+ advocacy group. Fidesz advocates for a traditional, conservative family model. Civil union between same-sex couples has been recognised in Hungary since 2009, though the constitution recognises marriage as "the union of one man and one woman". In 2020, Hungary's parliament voted to limit adoption to married couples, preventing gay couples from adopting children. That same year, the government introduced legislation that banned legal gender recognition for people wishing to have their gender identity recognised as different from their gender at birth. Taking stock of his party's record in government during his state of the nation address in February, Mr Orbán said: "We have given the country a new, Christian, national constitution, we have protected ourselves from migration, we have protected our children from gender activists". It is unclear how Budapest police will approach tomorrow's parade given that organisers and the LGBTQ+ community are determined to hold the parade as usual. "Most likely the police will announce that this is a prohibited march but it's more problematic for the organisers," said Ms Polgári. Hungarian police will not have the right to arrest people for attending the parade but they will have the authority to issue fines of between €15 and €500. Those fines, said Ms Polgári, would be issued for participating in an assembly that is prohibited under the Assembly Act. Hungarian police can also use facial recognition technology to identify those who attend. "It's not just about the LGBTQ rights and culture, but it's really about freedom of speech, and it's really about our freedom," said Mr Kanicsár. "If they can ban Pride, and ban people from coming to the street and making their voices heard, then they can ban it for every situation." The stakes are even higher for the parade organisers, which include Budapest Pride, an NGO that organises the event annually and Budapest city hall, represented by the mayor, Mr Karácsony. They could face up to one year in prison for defying the ban. Mr Karácsony has insisted that the parade will go ahead, stating that Pride does not require a permit because it is a municipal event. Speaking yesterday at an International Human Rights Conference at Budapest's Central European University to mark the 30th anniversary of Budapest Pride, Mr Karácsony said tomorrow's parade "has one real source of law, one legal and moral basis, and this is called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Budapest Pride is urging participants not to accept the fine given by police at the first attempt, and advised attendees that fines can be appealed at a later date. For its part, Hungary's government has signalled that it wants to avoid violent confrontations at the event. On Wednesday, the country's minister for transport János Lázár told Hungarian independent news outlet 444 that the law "does not have to be enforced at the cost of violence". Earlier this week, 33 embassies in Budapest, including the Embassy of Ireland, signed a joined statement in support of Budapest Pride and Hungary's LGBTIQ+ community. In response, Hungarian justice minister Bence Tuzson wrote a letter to EU ambassadors and their staff at embassies in Budapest not to attend the event. In the letter, seen by AFP, Mr Tuzson wrote that Pride was a "legally banned assembly". For much of the past decade, Fidesz has clashed with the EU over its opposition to migrant relocation quotas, the independence of the Hungarian judiciary and media freedoms in a country where the media market is dominated by pro-government outlets. Hungary has also opposed the consensus view in the EU to support Ukraine's bid to join the bloc, using its veto to delay funding packages for Kyiv while maintaining close political and economies ties with Moscow. On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen released a video on X, calling on Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to go ahead, much to the ire of Mr Orbán, no stranger to clashes with the EU. "Dear Madam President, I urge the European Commission to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs of Member States, where it has no role to play," wrote Mr Orbán in response. The standoff over Pride comes at a time when Fidesz is facing the toughest challenge yet during its 15 years in government. A poll by Hungarian pollster Medián last week put the centre-right opposition party Tisza, led by former Fidesz ally Péter Magyar, between 10 and 15 percentage points ahead of Fidesz. Mr Magyar has so far stayed away from commenting on the Pride ban, perhaps conscious that supporting the LGBTQ+ movement could reduce his chances of gaining the support of more conservative voters ahead of next year's pivotal parliamentary election. RTÉ News contacted the Hungarian government's international communication office with questions regarding the decision to ban this year's parade. In response, the office emailed a post on X from earlier this week by Zoltan Kovacs, Hungary's Secretary of State for International Communication, which read: "This year's @budapestpride is being organized in violation of Hungarian law—despite a binding decision by the Curia, Hungary's supreme court, which banned the march citing child protection concerns." "As always, we remain committed to protecting Hungarian children from LGBTQ propaganda." However, there is evidence that the views of a majority of Hungarians towards LGBTQ+ issues are more liberal. A study conducted by the Háttér Society in November 2023 found than 72% of Hungarians agree that same-sex couples can be good parents. It also found that 73% of those polled would allow transgender people to change their gender and name on their official documents. Whether tomorrow's banned parade becomes a defining moment in Hungarian politics will only become clear in the months ahead. Its impact may just be limited to liberal Budapest and other cities. But Fidesz's move to ban Pride has already turned the event into a mass protest about freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and that in itself will be hard for the ruling party to shrug off entirely. "Saturday will be a historic event," said Mr Kanicsár. "It will be a really big act of democracy."
Euronews
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Budapest Pride goes ahead in defiance of Orban ban
Senior European Union officials joined Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony at an international press conference on Friday at City Hall to mark the event. Mayor Karácsony opened the event by highlighting the significance of the large media turnout, saying it reflects deep concerns about the state of democracy in Hungary. "Hungary has become a laboratory for dismantling democracy over the past 15 years," the mayor said, calling the attempted ban on Pride the culmination of that process. He emphasized that Saturday's Pride parade is a municipal event and is not subject to the recent legal bans introduced in the spring. "Love cannot be banned, no one can be a second-class citizen in Hungary," Karácsony declared. "That's why the capital's municipality has taken the lead in organising Budapest Pride." Karácsony welcomed the strong show of international support, noting the presence of representatives and mayors from nearly 30 countries. When asked about reported far-right counter-demonstrations organised by the Our Homeland Movement and the 64 Counties Youth Movement—both of which have reportedly received police permits— Mayor Karácsony responded that he would personally vouch that no reprisals would be taken against those participating in Budapest Pride. He stressed that it would reflect poorly on Hungary if freedom of assembly could not be protected at a municipal event, while far-right groups were allowed to protest against others' rights. He expressed confidence that such counter-demonstrations would not be permitted, adding that in recent years, police had handled similar situations responsibly. "I am sure that unless there is an explicit political order for the police not to fulfil their constitutional duty, they will carry it out professionally—as they have done in previous years," he added. In response to further questions, the mayor added that the city would deploy hundreds of its own security officers and, for the first time, hire private security guards to help ensure the safety of the event. Meanwhile, the national civil law enforcement agency of Hungary (ORFK) said on Friday evening that, because the city had not appealed the ban, it had become final. However, the city disputes the legality of the ban, arguing that municipal events do not require a permit and therefore cannot be lawfully prohibited on that basis. EU Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib also spoke at the press conference, condemning discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ+ people under Hungarian law. 'It is not acceptable to think that members of the LGBT community are subject to different rules than other people,' she said.'Budapest is famous for its acceptance, and diversity is one of the foundations of the European Union. This diversity must be protected.' Lahbib added. 'Saturday's event is not just a parade—it is a demonstration and a celebration of the fact that we are diverse, and the fact that we can show it, we can live it also.' Nicolae Ștefănuță (Renew Europe), Vice-President of the European Parliament, came on behalf of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to deliver a unanimous message: human rights must be respected. Metsola said that the EP delegation of around 200 people to the march would be the largest group of human rights defenders. Ștefănuță pointed out that by joining the EU, member states are also accepting common European values. "If 50,000 people want to take part in a peaceful event, they have the right to do so, and this must be guaranteed in Hungary in accordance with European law and the Hungarian authorities have a duty to protect the participants," he explained, adding that Pride is a celebration of love and pride. Budapest Pride Spokesman Máté Hegedűs recalled that the parade has been held peacefully for decades and that they have been preparing for the 30th anniversary for two years. This year's slogan is "We are at home" - a message that the LGBTQ+ community is not an ideological product imported from the West. Hegedűs said they expect the police to protect the participants of the event from any potential far-right threats. The ban on Budapest Pride has become an important issue in the EU More than 70 MEPs are planning to attend Budapest Pride to protest against the event's ban and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's policies. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to take place in Budapest. She said it was important that the event should take place without fear and without any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organisers or participants. Prime Minister Orbán said that the Commission President was behaving like Moscow: "She sees Hungary as a subordinate country and thinks that she can tell Hungarians from Brussels how to live, what to like, what not to like, what their legal system should be, what to ban and what not to ban." In the European Parliament plenary session last week, centrist and left-wing MEPs called on the EU to take action against Hungary over its ban on the Pride parade. Spain's Iratxe García Pérez, who leads the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament, said they could see and hear the LGBTQ+ people of Hungary and would march alongside them proudly and loudly. Several members of the Left in the European Parliament (GUE/NGL) will also take part in Saturday's march. Manon Aubry, co-chair of the EP's radical left group, explained: "By taking part in Pride we are sending a clear message: wherever fascists like Orban attack the rights of the LGBT community, women or minorities, we will be there to stand in their way. We hope that the participation of MEPs in this march will prompt the Commission to react and put an end to its lenient attitude towards this regime abusing human rights. We march with pride to defend the right to love who you want." Far-right marches After the police banned the Pride march on the grounds of the Child Protection Act, Mayor Karácsony announced that the municipality of Budapest and the Rainbow Mission Foundation would organise an event on June 28 called Budapest Pride Freedom Day. In a joint statement, 71 Hungarian NGOs have expressed their support for the organisers of Budapest Pride and the free exercise of the right to peaceful assembly. Like the Our Homeland Movement, the far-right 64 Counties Youth Movement has announced rallies in several locations across the capital on Saturday. The movement has also received permission from the police to hold a rally in the City Hall Park, beginning in the morning. Pride organisers announced a few days ago that they would also hold a rally in the park. Several European countries have warned their citizens that attending Budapest Pride could result in a €500 fine and have highlighted increased security risks due to planned far-right counter-demonstrations.
Yomiuri Shimbun
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Hungary's LGBTQ+ Community Defies Government Ban on Pride March
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's LGBTQ+ community is preparing for a face-off with the country's autocratic government, and plans to push ahead with a march in the capital on Saturday despite a government ban and threats of legal repercussions. The populist party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in March fast-tracked a law through parliament that made it an offense to hold or attend events that 'depict or promote' homosexuality to minors aged under 18. Orbán earlier made clear that Budapest Pride — marking its 30th anniversary this year — was the explicit target of the law. But on Friday, Pride organizers along with Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and Vice President of the European Parliament Nicolae Stefanuta said the march will take place Saturday despite official threats of heavy fines for participants and even jail time for the liberal mayor. They expect the march to be the largest ever Pride event in Hungary. 'The government is always fighting against an enemy against which they have to protect Hungarian people … This time, it is sexual minorities that are the target,' Karácsony told a news conference. 'We believe there should be no first and second class citizens, so we decided to stand by this event.' A crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights Critics of the Pride ban and other Hungarian legislation targeting LGBTQ+ communities say the policies are reminiscent of similar restrictions against sexual minorities in Russia. Hungary's recent law allows authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify individuals that attend a prohibited event. Being caught could result in fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($586.) Orbán, seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the European Union, has in recent years prohibited same-sex adoption and banned any LGBTQ+ content including in television, films, advertisements and literature that is available to minors. His government argues exposure to such content negatively affects children's development. But opponents say the moves are part of a broader effort to scapegoat sexual minorities and consolidate his conservative base. Fines and facial recognition After police rejected several requests by organizers to register the Pride march, citing the recent law, Karácsony joined with organizers and declared it would be held as a separate municipal event — something he said does not require police approval. But Hungary's government has remained firm, insisting that holding the Pride march, even if it is sponsored by the city, would be unlawful. In a video on Facebook this week, Hungary's justice minister, Bence Tuzson, warned Karácsony that organizing Pride or encouraging people to attend is punishable by up to a year in prison. At the news conference Friday, Karácsony sought to dispel fears that police would impose heavy fines on Pride attendees. 'Police have only one task tomorrow: to guarantee the safety and security of those gathered at the event,' he said. Speaking to state radio on Friday, Orbán said that attending Pride 'will have legal consequences, but it can't reach the level of physical abuse.' 'The police could disperse such events, they have the right to do so. But Hungary is a civilized country,' he said. Right-wing counter-demonstrations On Thursday, radical right-wing party Our Homeland Movement announced it had requested police approval to hold assemblies at numerous locations across the city, many of them on the same route as the Pride march. Later, a neo-Nazi group said it too would gather Saturday at Budapest City Hall, from which the Pride march is set to depart. The group declared that only 'white, Christian, heterosexual men and women' were welcome to attend its demonstration. European officials respond Hungary's Pride ban has prompted a backlash from many of the country's partners and allies. Over 30 foreign embassies signed a joint statement this week expressing their commitment to 'every person's rights to equal treatment and nondiscrimination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social platform X on Wednesday, calling on Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to proceed 'without fear of any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organizers or participants.' More than 70 members of the European Parliament, as well as other officials from countries around Europe, are expected to participate in Saturday's march. Lahbib, the European Commissioner, said Friday that 'all eyes are on Budapest' as Pride marchers defy the government's ban. 'The EU is not neutral on hate,' she said. 'We cannot stay passive. We cannot tolerate what is intolerable.'
