More than 200,000 people attended Budapest Pride in 2025, according to organisers. The march, which took place on Saturday, was the first since the ousting of Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party in parliamentary elections earlier this year. Despite the political shift, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face stigma and legal barriers.
Record Turnout Amid Political Change
Last year's Pride saw a record number of participants, with over 200,000 people marching in defiance of Orbán's government, which had sought to ban the event. This year's march was expected to unfold peacefully after police approval. Petra Buzás, part of the organising team, said: "This year's Budapest Pride March is particularly important because it is about hope, caution and perseverance all at once."
Lingering Effects of Orbán's Crackdown
Orbán's 16-year rule included a determined crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights, culminating in a law that banned Pride events—the first such law in the EU's recent history. Buzás noted that many in the community continue to reel from the stigma spread by the previous government. "We cannot yet speak of a meaningful, widely perceptible change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ people," she said. "Many people are still afraid to be open about who they are, about their families, or their relationships, and social stigma remains strong."
New Government's Stance
Péter Magyar, who won a landslide victory with his Tisza party, has voiced support for LGBTQ+ people. On election night, he called for a Hungary where "no one is stigmatised for thinking differently than the majority, or loving differently than the majority." However, his government has not moved to reverse Orbán's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. A coalition of civil society groups recently called for the repeal of the law banning Pride events, stating it had "no place in a democratic state governed by the rule of law."
Remaining Legal Hurdles
Other anti-LGBTQ+ laws introduced by Orbán remain in place, including restrictions on LGBTQ+ topics in schools, media, and bookstores, curtailment of adoptions by same-sex couples, and denial of legal gender recognition for transgender and intersex people. Buzás expressed concern that change might remain symbolic: "Our greatest concern is that change will remain at the level of symbolic gestures, while the everyday safety, dignity and legal equality of community members remain fragile."
Broader European Context
Campaigners say far-right politicians across Europe are weaponising LGBTQ+ rights, leading to a rise in hate crimes. Budapest Pride, which launched in 1997 as the first such march in central and eastern Europe, has become a symbol of resistance. Buzás reflected: "The story of the Hungarian LGBTQ community in recent years has also shown that repression does not always achieve its goal. Those in power may try to create fear, restrict a community through laws and stigmatise it through propaganda, but this can also backfire: for many people, it makes clear that standing up for the rights of the community is in fact about the freedom of all of us."
