
7 days · 6 summary articles
The first legal Pride march in Budapest since Viktor Orbán’s defeat set off from Senate Square at noon on Saturday, winding through the city’s streets to Kaivopuisto Park, where a celebratory festival awaited thousands of participants. Police granted the permit this year, a stark reversal from 2025 when the event was banned under Orbán’s government. “This parade is a normal celebration now,” activist Ádám Kanicsár told Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet . “Last year we fought for our rights; today we celebrate.”
Public support for LGBTQ+ rights has surged since the political shift. A Medián poll published Friday found more than two-thirds of Hungarians now back same-sex adoption, up from 30% in 1997 and 300,000 participants in the 2025 “banned Pride.” The 2026 march was framed as “Let’s finish the regime change together,” reflecting the new government’s pro-European stance under Prime Minister Peter Magyar. “The ban on last year’s Pride marked the beginning of the end for Orbán,” wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .
Yet activists caution that legal victories do not erase systemic hurdles. The Helsinki Committee (TASZ) noted that laws enabling Pride bans remain on the books, despite police approval this year. “The government’s change of heart is clear, but the legal framework still threatens us,” TASZ lawyer Szabolcs Hegyi told HVG . Budapest Pride spokesperson Zita Hrubi echoed the call for repeal, emphasizing that “symbolic permission is not enough.”
The march unfolded under brutal heat, with organizers distributing water and shade along the route. Police reported no major incidents, though small counter-protests were expected. “We count on a few dozen opponents, but the mood is overwhelmingly positive,” Hrubi said. The event’s shift from protest to celebration mirrors broader European trends, from Oslo’s police-approved parade—expected to draw thousands—to French polling showing 68% support for same-sex marriage, according to researcher Ambre Bruneteau .
For many, the day symbolized both progress and unfinished business. “The political change gave us this march, but the fight for full equality continues,” Kanicsár said. As rainbow flags fluttered over Budapest’s boulevards, the message was clear: the Pride movement has won a battle, but the war for rights is far from over.
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