Hungary - June 2025

Despite legal restrictions following a recent constitutional amendment restricting LGBTQIA+ rights and assembly (banning Pride and similar LGBTQIA+ events), on 28 June, Budapest held its 30th Pride march, drawing a record 180,000-200,000 attendees. Police denied permits to the NGOs that traditionally organise the event, but Mayor Gergely Karácsony reclassified the event as municipal, bypassing assembly laws to help organizers navigate legal constraints. The reclassification was opposed by the authorities, which maintained that the event was still subject to the assembly law and issued a ban. Karácsony faced imprisonment threats from the justice minister for defying the national ban. While police did not intervene, participants risked fines and organisers faced prison, underscoring both civic engagement and civil society’s resilience. New laws allowed facial-recognition and surveillance along the route. The march ended peacefully without police interference.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, Euronews, Euractiv, Index, International IDEA