Hungary has enacted a law banning Pride marches across the country, sparking protests in the capital and drawing criticism from rights organisations concerned about restrictions on freedom of assembly.
President Tamas Sulyok signed the legislation on Tuesday after parliament fast-tracked its passage, approving the measure in a 136-27 vote just one day after it was proposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing Fidesz party.
"This is not child protection, this is fascism," Budapest Pride organisers said in a statement.
The new law bans events deemed harmful to children under Hungary's contentious 2021 "child protection" legislation, which prohibits the "depiction or promotion" of homosexuality to minors.
Protests erupt
Several thousand demonstrators gathered outside parliament following the vote, later blocking Margaret Bridge in central Budapest in defiance of police instructions to disperse.
Opposition lawmakers staged a vivid protest inside the legislature, setting off rainbow-coloured smoke bombs as the bill was debated.
"Budapest is the city of freedom, there will be Pride," said Gergely Karacsony, the capital's liberal mayor, who condemned the law.
Pride organisers have vowed to proceed with this year's march, scheduled for 28 June, despite the ban. The legislation imposes fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (€550) for both organisers and participants.
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Surveillance powers
The legislation permits authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those attending prohibited events, with collected fines directed toward "child protection", according to the law's text.
Tamas Dombos, project coordinator at Hungarian LGBTQ+ rights group Háttér Society, warned that the surveillance provisions could be used beyond Pride events.
"It's a very common strategy of authoritarian governments not to talk about the real issues that people are affected by: the inflation, the economy, the terrible condition of education and health care," Dombos said.
International criticism
The law has drawn rebuke from European officials, with Hadja Lahbib, the EU commissioner for equality, writing on X that "the right to gather peacefully is a fundamental right to be championed across the European Union".
Michael O'Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said he was "very concerned" about the new law and had urged President Sulyok to veto it.
Critics have noted similarities between Hungary's approach and legislation in Russia, where laws prohibiting "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" have severely restricted LGBTQ+ rights.
"It's quite terrifying, to be honest, because we had the same in Russia. It was building up step by step, and I feel like this is what is going on here," said Evgeny Belyakov, a Russian immigrant to Hungary, during the protest.
Electoral stakes
The move comes as Orban, who has been in power since 2010, faces mounting domestic challenges ahead of elections scheduled for 2026.
Hungary's economy has struggled with inflation and rising living costs while a new opposition party has emerged as an unprecedented electoral threat.
In 2022, the European Commission filed a case with the EU's highest court against Hungary's 2021 child protection law, arguing it "discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity".
The Hungarian government maintains its policies are designed to protect children from "sexual propaganda", but rights advocates argue the legislation falsely conflates homosexuality with paedophilia.
Budapest Pride spokesperson Jojó Majercsik said despite Orban's efforts to stigmatise LGBTQ+ people, the organisation has received an outpouring of support.
"Many, many people have been mobilised," Majercsik said. "We've received many messages from people saying, 'Until now I haven't gone to Pride, I didn't care about it, but this year I'll be there and I'll bring my family'."
