EU Lawmakers to Protest Budapest Pride Ban

By Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS LGBT Politics Europe

MEPs Unite to Defy Budapest Pride Ban, Urge EU to Act Against Hungary

BRUSSELS — (May 22, 2025) — A cross-party coalition of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is preparing to travel to Hungary in defiance of the government’s recent Budapest Pride ban, with lawmakers and activists urging the European Commission to launch immediate legal action.

At a press conference held in Brussels ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, Pride organizers and MEPs condemned Hungary’s move as a breach of EU law and civil liberties. They called on the European Commission to escalate the infringement procedure already in motion against Hungary’s 2021 anti-LGBTIQ+ law and to initiate a new procedure targeting the restriction of freedom of assembly.

Hungary’s Constitutional Ban on LGBTQ+ Public Events

In April, Hungary amended its constitution to codify provisions of the controversial Child Protection Act, which severely limits depictions of LGBTQ+ identities. Under the new law, events like the annual Budapest Pride — which draws thousands of international attendees — are explicitly banned.

“This current ban on Pride marches is just a verbatim extension of the 2021 propaganda law,” said Viktória Radványi, President of Budapest Pride. “We haven’t seen any action from the European Commission in the past two months… So we are here today in Brussels to demand concrete legal steps.”

Radványi emphasized the need for the Commission to pursue interim measures through the Court of Justice of the EU and to protect LGBTQ+ citizens’ rights across the bloc.

MEPs: Hungary’s Ban Violates EU Law

“We will be marching on June 28th on the streets of Budapest. No matter what, we will not comply with this illegal ban,” declared Radványi. Her sentiments were echoed by MEP Marc Angel (S&D), co-chair of the European Parliament’s LGBTIQ+ Intergroup.

“By banning Pride, the Hungarian government wants to silence opposition,” said Angel. “The Commission must act — not just speak — in defense of European values.”

Dutch Green MEP Kim van Sparrentak warned, “We are at a crossroads. This is the moment the EU shows whether it defends its values or lets them erode.”

A delegation of MEPs from across the political spectrum — including the Greens, The Left, Renew Europe, and the European People’s Party — is expected to attend the march in Budapest. The final list is still being confirmed.

Broader Threats to LGBTQ+ Rights in Europe

Activists from Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy joined the MEPs in warning that Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ stance is part of a wider European pattern of state-sanctioned hostility, rising violence, and discriminatory legislation.

According to the 2025 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Hungary ranks 37th out of 49 European countries in LGBTQ+ rights protections — its worst ranking to date. Russia and Azerbaijan remain at the bottom, while Malta and Belgium top the list.

The European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled against pride bans, asserting that such actions violate core democratic values like equality and pluralism.

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