Pride Parades Return to Budapest After Change in Hungarian Government

An LGBT pride parade will officially take place in the capital of Hungary in June 2026. Budapest police have approved the event. Last year, the previous government banned such gatherings. This was reported by AFP.

In April 2026, the Fidesz party led by Viktor Orbán lost power in parliamentary elections. Péter Magyar became the new Prime Minister. At his swearing-in ceremony, he stated: “What unites us will be stronger than what divides us. Hungary will be home to every Hungarian. Families, friends, and communities will be able to connect with each other again.”

Last year, Orbán’s government passed a law banning all LGBT pride events in the country. This sparked mass protests, with over 200,000 people taking to the streets. The Hungarian Supreme Court later ruled the ban unconstitutional, although the law has not yet been formally repealed.

The organizers of Budapest Pride welcomed the authorities’ decision. “We warmly welcome in June all who participated in last year’s demonstration, those who believe in equal rights and a democratic Hungary, and those who want to celebrate the transition to democracy,” their statement read.

Changes in Hungary’s policies have led to the unfreezing of European funds. The European Union released over 16 billion euros to the country, which were previously withheld due to human rights violations under Orbán. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted: “We already feel a strong wind of change. In just a few weeks you have advanced long overdue reforms.” According to The Guardian , another 2.2 billion euros depend on restoring academic freedom in Hungarian universities.

In 2025, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony tried to bypass the government ban by renaming the parade a “municipal” event. Weeks before the April elections, prosecutors filed charges against him. “From a proud suspect, I became a proud defendant,” the mayor commented on his prosecution at the time.

Following the approval of the new pride parade, Karácsony wrote on social media: “Freedom and love cannot be banned. This is an event for freedom-loving Hungarians. It was so last year, it will be so this year, it will be so always.”