Berliner Boersenzeitung - Budapest Pride to challenge Orban's ban in Hungary

EUR -
AED 4.326661
AFN 82.273942
ALL 97.898814
AMD 452.629971
ANG 2.108041
AOA 1080.157743
ARS 1459.669854
AUD 1.798908
AWG 2.12321
AZN 2.007149
BAM 1.955418
BBD 2.377585
BDT 144.451806
BGN 1.956287
BHD 0.443228
BIF 3508.115287
BMD 1.177925
BND 1.499675
BOB 8.137239
BRL 6.38271
BSD 1.177545
BTN 100.498238
BWP 15.596956
BYN 3.853566
BYR 23087.331819
BZD 2.365338
CAD 1.603215
CDF 3398.314319
CHF 0.935405
CLF 0.028547
CLP 1095.459023
CNY 8.440309
CNH 8.439249
COP 4712.218658
CRC 594.671311
CUC 1.177925
CUP 31.215015
CVE 110.243483
CZK 24.646321
DJF 209.341311
DKK 7.461454
DOP 70.474749
DZD 152.109697
EGP 58.022699
ERN 17.668876
ETB 163.423335
FJD 2.637615
FKP 0.862798
GBP 0.862601
GEL 3.204416
GGP 0.862798
GHS 12.187363
GIP 0.862798
GMD 84.22618
GNF 10213.006627
GTQ 9.054041
GYD 246.364006
HKD 9.2463
HNL 30.765995
HRK 7.530244
HTG 154.606543
HUF 399.203326
IDR 19062.0084
ILS 3.939983
IMP 0.862798
INR 100.936107
IQD 1542.566183
IRR 49620.09495
ISK 142.446936
JEP 0.862798
JMD 187.953315
JOD 0.835195
JPY 170.275556
KES 152.141258
KGS 103.010002
KHR 4731.076589
KMF 492.373101
KPW 1060.089343
KRW 1606.325121
KWD 0.359609
KYD 0.981408
KZT 611.529492
LAK 25374.508866
LBP 105506.967917
LKR 353.301043
LRD 236.098907
LSL 20.713857
LTL 3.478107
LVL 0.712516
LYD 6.342762
MAD 10.569437
MDL 19.835707
MGA 5298.853309
MKD 61.531087
MMK 2473.232981
MNT 4226.84635
MOP 9.521142
MRU 46.736878
MUR 52.948179
MVR 18.14445
MWK 2042.018775
MXN 21.952406
MYR 4.972067
MZN 75.340533
NAD 20.713418
NGN 1802.15516
NIO 43.331543
NOK 11.864468
NPR 160.792204
NZD 1.944493
OMR 0.452069
PAB 1.17757
PEN 4.175585
PGK 4.864051
PHP 66.570482
PKR 334.279155
PLN 4.24364
PYG 9383.969276
QAR 4.30386
RON 5.059075
RSD 117.399127
RUB 92.591703
RWF 1692.769606
SAR 4.417612
SBD 9.820272
SCR 16.592058
SDG 707.348348
SEK 11.256846
SGD 1.499974
SHP 0.925664
SLE 26.444855
SLL 24700.50455
SOS 672.95437
SRD 44.036774
STD 24380.6712
SVC 10.303989
SYP 15315.416699
SZL 20.696906
THB 38.082753
TJS 11.451765
TMT 4.134517
TND 3.430858
TOP 2.758823
TRY 46.955033
TTD 7.986272
TWD 34.086841
TZS 3117.621455
UAH 49.110415
UGX 4224.085893
USD 1.177925
UYU 47.260776
UZS 14787.113854
VES 128.951587
VND 30838.07893
VUV 140.328108
WST 3.064638
XAF 655.828995
XAG 0.031783
XAU 0.000353
XCD 3.183402
XDR 0.815779
XOF 655.828995
XPF 119.331742
YER 285.234989
ZAR 20.722353
ZMK 10602.74357
ZMW 28.525827
ZWL 379.291399
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Budapest Pride to challenge Orban's ban in Hungary
Budapest Pride to challenge Orban's ban in Hungary / Photo: Attila KISBENEDEK - AFP

Budapest Pride to challenge Orban's ban in Hungary

A record number of people are expected to attend Saturday's Pride march in the Hungarian capital Budapest, defying a ban that marks an unprecedented regression of LGBTQ rights in the European Union.

Text size:

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition amended laws and the constitution earlier this year to prohibit the annual celebration, justifying his years-long clampdown on LGBTQ rights on "child protection" grounds.

While Orban has been emboldened by the anti-diversity offensive of US President Donald Trump, his own initiatives have drawn protests at home and condemnation from the EU and rights groups.

The nationalist leader on Friday said that while police would not "break up" the 30th edition of the Pride march, those who took part should be aware of "legal consequences".

Despite the risk of a fine, more than 35,000 people are expected to gather at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) near Budapest's city hall, an hour before the march begins.

Ministers from several EU countries, and dozens of European lawmakers are expected to attend in defiance of the ban, reminiscent of that in Moscow in 2006 and Istanbul in 2015.

"We're not just standing up for ourselves... If this law isn't overturned, eastern Europe could face a wave of similar measures," Pride organiser Viktoria Radvanyi said.

- Freshly installed cameras -

Earlier this week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called on the Hungarian authorities to reverse the ban.

Thirty-three countries have also spoken up in support of the march.

While parade organisers risk up to a year in prison, attendees can face fines up to 500 euros ($580). The latest legal changes empower the authorities to use facial-recognition technology to identify those who take part.

Freshly installed cameras have appeared on lamp posts along the planned route of the march.

However, opposition Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony has insisted that no attendee can face any reprisals as the march -- co-organised by the city hall this time -- is a municipal event and does not require police approval.

"The police have only one task tomorrow, and it is a serious one: to ensure the safety of Hungarian and European citizens attending the event," Karacsony said during a briefing with visiting EU equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib.

Far-right groups have announced multiple counterprotests along the planned route of the procession.

Justice Minister Bence Tuzson this week sent a letter to EU embassies cautioning diplomats and staff against participating because of the police ban.

Several EU countries have informed their citizens of the potential of fines through travel advisories.

- 'Polarising society' -

Since Orban's return to power in 2010, the country of 9.6 million people has been steadily rolling back LGBTQ rights.

Legal changes have effectively barred same-sex couples from adopting children, prevented transgender people from changing their name or gender in official documents, and a 2021 law forbade the "display and promotion" of homosexuality to under-18s.

This March, lawmakers passed a bill targeting the annual Pride march, amending the 2021 law to prohibit any gathering violating its provisions.

A month later, parliament also adopted a constitutional change to strengthen the legal foundations for the ban.

"Orban is employing a tried-and-tested recipe ahead of next year's election by generating a conflict," political analyst Daniel Mikecz told AFP. Orban was "polarising society", he added.

Voter opinion polls suggest Orban's Fidesz party has been losing ground to the opposition.

The first Pride march was held in 1970 in New York to mark the anniversary of the city's Stonewall riots in June 1969, which sparked the gay rights movement.

(P.Werner--BBZ)