The police statement explained that legal proceedings won’t be initiated because participants believed the march was legal due to comments from organizers and the participation of the municipal government.
Mayor’s Actions Under Scrutiny
Pride parades worldwide aim to support LGBTQ+ rights. Budapest police acknowledged that the organizers of this year’s event contributed to public uncertainty regarding its legal status, given that the city’s liberal mayor, Gergely Karacsony, declared Pride an official municipal event and argued the government’s ban was irrelevant.
According to Hungarian law, municipal and state events are exempt from public assembly decisions. As such, Karacsony’s designation of Pride as a municipal event has placed him under investigation by the police, with organizers of prohibited gatherings facing up to a year in prison.
Right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban labeled the event as “repulsive and shameful” and accused the EU of orchestrating the parade.
Orban’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies
Orban’s government revised legislation and the constitution as part of an anti-LGBTQ+ campaign. In March, lawmakers from his Fidesz party passed a law allowing for the ban of Pride marches, justified by the need to protect children. Violating such bans in Hungary is an administrative offense, punishable by financial penalties of up to €500 ($586). Authorities utilized facial recognition software to identify Pride participants before the event.
Despite these efforts, Budapest Pride 2025 saw a record turnout, with over 200,000 participants reported by the organizers, far exceeding the previous record of 35,000. Orban faces mounting opposition from center-right leader Peter Magyar’s Tisza party, with elections coming up next year.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
