Hungary Set to Ban LGBTQ+ Pride Events in Controversial Constitutional Vote

Budapest: Hungarian lawmakers are preparing to vote on a constitutional amendment that would enshrine a ban on LGBTQ+ Pride events and tighten restrictions on civil liberties, in what critics are calling one of the most extreme legal assaults on human rights in the country’s recent history.
Backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition, which holds a two -thirds majority in parliament, the amendment is almost certain to pass on Monday. The move would effectively outlaw public LGBTQ+ events — including the popular annual Budapest Pride — and codify policies that deny the legal recognition of transgender and intersex individuals.
The amendment expands on Hungary's controversial "child protection' law, passed in March, which bans what the government calls the "promotion' of homosexuality to minors under 18. Under the new constitutional changes, attending or organising prohibited events could result in fines up to 200,000 forints (USD 546), with law enforcement authorised to use facial recognition technology to track participants.
Critics argue the government is using child protection as a smokescreen to undermine freedom of assembly and expression. To align the ban with constitutional standards, the amendment declares that children’s rights to moral and spiritual development override all other basic rights — except the right to life.
Wider Impact on Civil Liberties and National Sovereignty
The amendment doesn’t stop at LGBTQ+ rights. It also introduces new powers allowing the government to suspend the citizenship of Hungarian nationals who also hold non -EU or non- EEA citizenship, if they are deemed a threat to public order or national security. Such suspensions could last up to ten years.
This change follows escalating anti -Western rhetoric from Orbán, who has likened foreign -funded NGOs, journalists, and activists to “insects,” accusing them of attempting to topple his government. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, and the Hatter Society, have called on the European Commission to take action, claiming the amendment violates EU law and democratic principles.
Mass protests have erupted across Hungary in response, with demonstrators blocking major bridges and streets in Budapest. Organisers of Budapest Pride stated, “This is not child protection, this is fascism.” The opposition Momentum party plans to blockade the parliament on Monday to disrupt the vote, accusing the government of steering the country toward authoritarianism.
As Hungary prepares for this critical decision, civil rights advocates warn that the amendment could signal a dramatic rollback of democratic freedoms and deepen the country’s isolation from European norms.