Today, the Hungarian Parliament, with its government majority, passed a law banning PRIDE in Budapest. This legislation severely restricts the right to assembly in Hungary. Violations of the ban are to be recorded using facial recognition software and punished with heavy fines. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government justifies this renewed attack on the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals under the pretense of a so-called child protection law. This latest restriction on fundamental rights is part of a broader pattern of attacks on democracy in Hungary. Recently, civil society organizations have faced aggressive government attacks, with numerous NGOs being intimidated.

Furthermore, a few days ago, the government proposed a constitutional amendment that would strip dual citizens of their Hungarian nationality and expel them from the country. Additionally, the amendment would allow the government to overturn any law with a two-thirds majority in situations deemed as a “threat,” a state of emergency that the Hungarian government has continuously maintained. Parliament is expected to vote on this amendment in mid-April.

Daniel Freund, Member of the European Parliament for the Greens, comments:

“What is happening in Hungary right now is outrageous, even by Hungarian standards. Fundamental rights of EU citizens are being dismantled at breakneck speed. This attack on the right to assembly and the LGBTQI+ community is absolutely unacceptable. The EU Commission must respond immediately to protect the fundamental rights of EU citizens in Hungary. The EU’s response to Viktor Orban’s destruction of democracy must be firm and unequivocal: suspend Hungary’s voting rights and halt all EU funding immediately. The EU must make it clear that it stands with the Hungarian people – not with the corrupt and autocratic Orban government.”

“We must not forget that the Orban government is using this attack on LGBTQI+ rights as a smokescreen to divert public attention. At the same time, they are preparing further legal restrictions, including the revocation of Hungarian citizenship. Meanwhile, corruption in the country continues at full speed. Orban is trying—just a year before the parliamentary elections—to frame the confrontation with the EU as one centered on LGBTQI+ rights. In reality, EU funds to Hungary are being withheld primarily due to rampant corruption and attacks on the rule of law.”