Von der Leyen Urges Hungary to Allow Budapest Pride Parade as 200,000 Attend Despite Orbán’s Child Protection Ban; Greta Thunberg Joins

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged Hungarian authorities to permit the Budapest Pride parade without imposing criminal or administrative sanctions on its organizers. The Hungarian Parliament had empowered police to ban Pride marches citing child protection as a priority over the right to assemble. Despite the official ban, approximately 200,000 people participated in the Budapest Pride parade, marking the largest demonstration in Hungary since the fall of communism. The event drew international attention, including the presence of climate activist Greta Thunberg, who joined the march in open defiance of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ban.

Thunberg condemned Orbán's actions as a fascist attempt to suppress the LGBTQ+ community. In response, Balázs Orbán, political director to the Prime Minister, criticized Thunberg, referencing her previous activism and dismissing her involvement as unsolicited advice. The Budapest mayor expressed pride in the Pride event but stated he would not challenge Orbán directly. The Pride parade has highlighted growing tensions in Hungary over LGBTQ+ rights and has been described as a setback for Orbán's political stance, with some observers noting cracks in his campaign against LGBTQ+ individuals. The event also sparked broader discussions about Hungary's LGBT policies and censorship, including laws targeting LGBTQ+ content in youth literature.