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Budapest mayor says Pride will happen despite ban
The Hungarian police prohibited the Budapest Pride, citing their "capacity as assembly authorities," 24.hu reports.
Gergely Karácsony announced on Monday that the Budapest Municipality will organize the Budapest Pride event on 28 June in partnership with the Rainbow Mission Foundation. At the time, the mayor said that the Budapest Pride is a municipal event and does not require official authorization. In an interview with The Guardian, Karacsony said, “There is currently no law that could ban a municipal event,” he said. “Obviously, anything can happen in Hungary. But we will come up with a plan C.”
Karácsony has since reacted to the police's decision: "The Budapest Police Headquarters has issued a prohibition order on a non-existent meeting, and could have used the same force to ban unicorns. Since the Municipality of Budapest did not make a notification under the Assembly Act, the prohibition decision is irrelevant. On 28 June, Hungarian Freedom Day, the Municipality of Budapest will organise the Budapest Pride Freedom Day as a municipal event, period.
71 MEPs to attend Budapest Pride
More than 70 members of the European Parliament are planning to attend this year’s Budapest Pride march on 28 June, in solidarity with Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community, The Guardian reports. MEPs from liberal and green parties are joining the march to challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s efforts to further restrict gay rights. Dutch Green MEP Tineke Strik announced that she and 70 colleagues would join the event, stating: “We will show the Hungarians that they are not alone.”
“Neither freedom, nor love can be banned,” Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony said. High-profile politicians such as Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, and a Dutch government minister are also expected to attend. Meanwhile, European Commissioner Michael McGrath confirmed the EU is examining the legality of Hungary’s anti-Pride law. The EU has already launched legal action over a 2021 law that bans LGBTQ+ content from schools and TV, which a senior EU legal advisor recently condemned as "incompatible with fundamental rights".
Hungarian government allies in the European Parliament dismissed the criticism. Kinga Gál of Orbán’s Fidesz party called the debate “hysteria,” while far-right MEPs from across Europe voiced support for Hungary.
Hungary opposes EU tariffs on Russian and Belarusian agricultural imports
Hungary was the only EU member state to vote against new tariffs on agricultural products and fertilisers from Russia and Belarus, with Bulgaria and Belgium choosing to abstain, Hungarian weekly, HVG reports. Despite Hungary’s opposition, the measure passed under the EU’s qualified majority voting system, which prevents any single country from blocking customs and tax decisions.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó warned of an upcoming debate at the EU energy council meeting on 16 June. He claimed the bloc aims to block Hungary from purchasing Russian gas, oil, and nuclear fuel. He argued it would cause Hungarian household utility bills to skyrocket.
Fidesz loses support in rural Hungary
According to Medián's latest poll, Fidesz's lead has already eroded in rural Hungary, while in big cities the party is at a serious disadvantage compared to Tisza. HVG has compared the results of the 2024 EP elections by settlement type with the data from the new survey. The figures show that Fidesz has been in a much worse position than last year.
According to Medián's research, Fidesz has only 21% support in Budapest, compared to Tisza, which currently leads with 49%. This ratio is 25-46 in big cities, 28-34 in other cities, and 33-32 in villages.
Medián's research also looked at voters by demographic group. The data showed that Tisza is most popular among young voters, with 58% of those under 40 voting for the party. Fidesz has strong support only among those aged 50 and over. Education also plays a significant role in party preference. Tisza leads with 27% among those with at least a high school diploma, while Fidesz is only ahead among those with basic education.