Hungary Drops Pride-Related Charges After EU Court Ruling (Worthy News In-Depth)
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief reporting from Budapest, Hungary
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungarian prosecutors have dropped charges against organizers of last year’s Pride events, including Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, after the European Union’s highest court ruled that the legal basis used to ban the gatherings violated EU law.
The decision comes amid sweeping political changes in Hungary following the election of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose victory ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule.
Prosecutors said the charges could no longer be sustained, adding that “since the ban was based on a provision that was later found to violate EU law, the facts described in the indictment no longer constitute a criminal offense.”
Karácsony had been charged with helping organize Budapest’s annual Pride parade, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, despite an official ban. Charges against activist Géza Buzás-Hábel, who organized a Pride march in the southern university city of Pécs, were also dismissed.
PRIDE BAN OVERTURNED
The legal dispute arose from legislation adopted by Orbán’s government that banned public assemblies deemed to violate Hungary’s child-protection laws.
Approved by parliament in 2025, the law prohibited events considered to promote or display homosexuality or gender diversity to minors. Penalties ranged from 6,500 forints (about $19) to 200,000 forints (about $585), while organizing a prohibited event could carry a prison sentence of up to one year.
The measure drew criticism from rights groups and prompted protests in Hungary and abroad.
Despite the ban, Budapest Pride proceeded on June 28, 2025, drawing a record crowd of more than 350,000 participants, according to organizers. Many attended in support of Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community, while others said they joined as a broader demonstration in defense of democratic freedoms and freedom of assembly.
The European Court of Justice ruled in April that Hungary’s 2021 legislation restricting the promotion of homosexuality and gender transition to minors violated EU law.
EU COURT RULING
The 2021 law prohibited educational materials and information about homosexuality or gender transition for minors and imposed restrictions on media content featuring LGBTQ+ themes.
Police have since announced that this year’s Budapest Pride parade, scheduled for June 27, may proceed, as authorities found no legal grounds to prohibit it.
The move marks a significant departure from the approach taken under Orbán’s government, which argued that the restrictions were needed to protect children and preserve Hungary’s Christian heritage and traditional family values.
Supporters said the legislation reflected the wishes of conservative families and voters.
Critics argued it discriminated against sexual minorities and violated fundamental rights guaranteed under European law.
FIDESZ HYPOCRISY CLAIMS
Orbán’s Fidesz party was also accused by critics of introducing anti-LGBTQ+ measures while facing several scandals involving prominent officials.
In December 2020, József Szájer, then head of Fidesz’s delegation in the European Parliament and a principal author of Hungary’s 2011 constitution, which identified Hungary as a Christian state and defined marriage as “a union between a man and a woman,” resigned after Belgian police found him at what was widely described as a “gay orgy” in Brussels that allegedly violated COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations.
The incident fueled accusations of hypocrisy against Fidesz from political opponents and LGBTQ+ activists.
That same year, former Hungarian ambassador to Peru Gábor Kaleta received a suspended sentence after authorities found more than 19,000 pornographic images of minors on computer storage devices linked to him. Critics said the punishment was too lenient and raised concerns about equal treatment under the law. Government supporters rejected those claims.
Prime Minister Magyar has repeatedly expressed support for equality before the law and freedom of assembly.
MAGYAR LGBTQ+ STANCE
After the Pride ban was adopted, Magyar accused the former government of using cultural issues to divert attention from economic and social challenges facing ordinary Hungarians.
However, he has largely avoided making LGBTQ+ rights a central issue of his political agenda. Rights activists have criticized him for not clearly outlining plans to reverse legislation affecting LGBTQ+ communities adopted under former Prime Minister Orbán.
“The main opposition is unwilling to communicate on LGBTQ+ rights, so we must pressure them,” activist Géza Buzás-Hábel said before the election.
Despite the controversies, homosexuality remains legal in Hungary, and several gay bars operate in cities such as Budapest. While same-sex marriage is not recognized, registered partnerships for same-sex couples have been legal since 2009, granting many of the rights enjoyed by married couples, though not including joint adoption rights or certain family-related benefits.
Since taking office, Prime Minister Magyar has not publicly endorsed Pride events, nor has his government proposed repealing all LGBTQ+-related legislation adopted by the previous administration. Yet supporters point to his backing of freedom of assembly and closer cooperation with European institutions as signs of a different direction.
RIGHTS GROUPS REACT
Additionally, human rights organizations welcomed the dismissal of charges against Pride organizers.
In a joint statement, groups including Amnesty International Hungary said the rulings demonstrated that freedom of assembly remained a fundamental right and urged the government to repeal the 2021 law.
These developments have also been closely watched in Brussels, where portions of Hungary’s European Union funding remain tied to concerns over judicial reforms, academic freedom, and compliance with EU rulings on discrimination and fundamental rights.
The EU’s top court ruling is likely to intensify debate over Hungary’s child-protection legislation and its relationship with the European Union, which has repeatedly challenged Budapest over concerns involving the rule of law, civil liberties, and minority rights.
More broadly, the controversy reflects debates in Hungary over national identity, parental rights, religious values, European integration, and balancing state authority with individual freedoms in a rapidly changing society.
💡 Did you know? One of the best ways you can support Worthy News is by simply leaving a comment and sharing this article.
📢 Social media algorithms push content further when there’s more engagement — so every 👍 like, 💬 comment, and 🔄 share helps more people discover the truth. 🙌