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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Human rights groups challenge Hungary's anti-Pride law in court
BUDAPEST - Five human rights groups including Amnesty International challenged in court Hungary's legislation that created a legal basis for police to ban Pride marches by the LGBTQ community, the groups said in a statement on Friday. Hungary's parliament, where the ruling Fidesz party has a big majority, passed legislation in March that creates a legal basis to ban LGBTQ marches and lets police use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend. It also approved constitutional changes in April stipulating that Hungary recognises only two sexes, male and female. Activists say the measures amount to a de-facto ban on Pride marches. Prime Minister Viktor Orban - whose ruling party has a Christian conservative agenda - has said organisers "should not even bother" organising Pride in Budapest this year. Orban, who has been in power since 2010, faces elections in 2026 where a new opposition party is mounting a serious challenge to his rule. Five groups including Amnesty and leading LGBTQ rights groups Hatter Tarsasag and the group that organises Pride, said in their statement that the march planned for June 28 will go ahead in Budapest irrespective of the court ruling, which is expected next week. "Organisers are preparing for the biggest Pride march Hungary has ever had," their statement said. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The groups launched the legal challenge on Thursday after police banned a smaller march planned for June 1. They said when police banned the event, it cited the new legislation, which says assemblies that are considered harmful to children cannot be held, and that protecting children would supersede the right to assemble. "Police did not provide evidence on why the (June 1) march or the Pride march that is considered similar could amount to a violation of children's rights," the statement said. On Tuesday, seventeen European Union countries accused Hungary of contravening fundamental EU values by passing laws that target LGBTQ+ people, as tensions deepen between Budapest and a majority of member states. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Human rights groups challenge Hungary's anti-Pride law in court
BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Five human rights groups including Amnesty International challenged in court Hungary's legislation that created a legal basis for police to ban Pride marches by the LGBTQ community, the groups said in a statement on Friday. Hungary's parliament, where the ruling Fidesz party has a big majority, passed legislation in March that creates a legal basis to ban LGBTQ marches and lets police use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend. It also approved constitutional changes in April stipulating that Hungary recognises only two sexes, male and female. Activists say the measures amount to a de-facto ban on Pride marches. Prime Minister Viktor Orban - whose ruling party has a Christian conservative agenda - has said organisers "should not even bother" organising Pride in Budapest this year. Orban, who has been in power since 2010, faces elections in 2026 where a new opposition party is mounting a serious challenge to his rule. Five groups including Amnesty and leading LGBTQ rights groups Hatter Tarsasag and the group that organises Pride, said in their statement that the march planned for June 28 will go ahead in Budapest irrespective of the court ruling, which is expected next week. "Organisers are preparing for the biggest Pride march Hungary has ever had," their statement said. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The groups launched the legal challenge on Thursday after police banned a smaller march planned for June 1. They said when police banned the event, it cited the new legislation, which says assemblies that are considered harmful to children cannot be held, and that protecting children would supersede the right to assemble. "Police did not provide evidence on why the (June 1) march or the Pride march that is considered similar could amount to a violation of children's rights," the statement said. On Tuesday, seventeen European Union countries accused Hungary of contravening fundamental EU values by passing laws that target LGBTQ+ people, as tensions deepen between Budapest and a majority of member states.
Reuters
2 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Human rights groups challenge Hungary's anti-Pride law in court
BUDAPEST, May 30 (Reuters) - Five human rights groups including Amnesty International challenged in court Hungary's legislation that created a legal basis for police to ban Pride marches by the LGBTQ community, the groups said in a statement on Friday. Hungary's parliament, where the ruling Fidesz party has a big majority, passed legislation in March that creates a legal basis to ban LGBTQ marches and lets police use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend. It also approved constitutional changes in April stipulating that Hungary recognises only two sexes, male and female. Activists say the measures amount to a de-facto ban on Pride marches. Prime Minister Viktor Orban - whose ruling party has a Christian conservative agenda - has said organisers "should not even bother" organising Pride in Budapest this year. Orban, who has been in power since 2010, faces elections in 2026 where a new opposition party is mounting a serious challenge to his rule. Five groups including Amnesty and leading LGBTQ rights groups Hatter Tarsasag and the group that organises Pride, said in their statement that the march planned for June 28 will go ahead in Budapest irrespective of the court ruling, which is expected next week. "Organisers are preparing for the biggest Pride march Hungary has ever had," their statement said. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The groups launched the legal challenge on Thursday after police banned a smaller march planned for June 1. They said when police banned the event, it cited the new legislation, which says assemblies that are considered harmful to children cannot be held, and that protecting children would supersede the right to assemble. "Police did not provide evidence on why the (June 1) march or the Pride march that is considered similar could amount to a violation of children's rights," the statement said. On Tuesday, seventeen European Union countries accused Hungary of contravening fundamental EU values by passing laws that target LGBTQ+ people, as tensions deepen between Budapest and a majority of member states.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ laws: Europe must stand up for its values
According to article 2 of the treaty of the European Union, the EU is founded on respect for human dignity in societies where 'pluralism, non-discrimination [and] tolerance prevail'. Try telling that to the organisers of next month's Budapest Pride march. Following new laws introduced by Viktor Orbán's Fidesz government, Hungary has become the first EU country to legislate to enable the banning of a Pride event. An amendment to the country's constitution now allows public LGBTQ+ events to be designated a threat to children, expanding the scope of earlier laws targeted at schools. As a result, organisers and participants in Budapest's Pride celebration on 28 June risk being fined and harassed if they turn up to the parade. Unsurprisingly, and accurately, Mr Orbán's ban has been described as a 'full-frontal attack' on LGBTQ+ people. It is also a typically machiavellian manoeuvre by Hungary's prime minister, intended to provoke a backlash from liberals at home and abroad. As Fidesz trails in the polls ahead of elections next year, Mr Orbán is turning to his polarising playbook once again. The fact that Mr Orbán may be hoping for a reaction does not mean there should not be one. The banning of a Pride parade in a European capital would be in flagrant contravention of EU law regarding freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. A delegation of EU lawmakers who visited Hungary last month reported that the new law had already created a 'very hostile atmosphere' for LGBTQ+ Hungarians and led to a rise in violent attacks. In Brussels, demands for a showdown with Mr Orbán were already growing, partly as a result of his pro-Putin obstructionism throughout the war in Ukraine. Hungary is currently denied access to €18bn in EU funds, due to rule-of-law concerns relating to issues such as the treatment of asylum seekers and corruption. But its rogue prime minister has largely led the European Commission a merry dance and shown contempt for its strictures. This week 20 member states, including France and Germany, published a declaration demanding that all possible sanctions should be deployed if the new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is not withdrawn. Unanimity rules mean they would be unlikely to include the suspension of Hungary's rights as a voting member of the European Council – a move that would be vetoed by Slovakia's national populist government. But at the very minimum, the council should move swiftly to identify Mr Orbán's government as clearly in breach of EU values and act to substantially close off its access to Brussels' funds. The first Budapest Pride parade took place in 1997. Writing in the Guardian last month, an opposition MP described the event as 'the largest recurring demonstration of human rights in Hungary'. According to polls, 78% of the city's residents wish it to go ahead as normal. At a time when the EU's liberal norms are being challenged by the rise of authoritarianism and intolerance in the west and beyond, its leaders must respond robustly to Mr Orbán's latest shameless attempt to undermine them for his own political ends. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Budapest Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
MEP: More than 1.2 million sign petition on Ukraine's potential EU membership
Csaba Dömötör said fast-tracking Ukraine into the EU would "devastate the already struggling European economy". Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör told a forum in Zalaegerszeg on Monday that more than 1.2 million people have already returned the questionnaire on Ukraine's potential EU membership, which would have an impact on the lives of all Europeans as well as the continent's future. Addressing the latest leg of Fidesz party's national tour, the MEP said fast-tracking Ukraine into the EU would 'devastate the already struggling European economy'. Dömötör said Brussels was treating it as a foregone conclusion that all accession chapters would be opened this year, aiming for Ukraine to achieve full membership by 2030. Rather than taking the candidate's merits into account, 'the Brussels elite believes its diktat must be accepted', he added. Cohesion funds and agricultural subsidies for Hungary, he said, would be reduced drastically, and markets, including in agriculture, may even open before full membership, with 'severe consequences' and big losses for Hungarian farmers, Dömötör said.
