Hungary’s parliament has passed an amendment to their constitution which will allow the government to ban public events by LGBTIQA+ communities.
The amendment required a two thirds majority of the parliament to pass, and votes were along party lines with the ruling right-wing Fidesz-KDNP coalition having the numbers.
The introduction of the amendment is seen as a move towards authoritarianism in the European country, and a crushing blow to LGBTIQA+ rights.
The proposal for the new law was first passed in March but is now codified within the constitution.
The amendment declares that children’s rights to moral, physical and spiritual development supersede any right other than the right to life, including that to peacefully assemble.
It follows the country adopting laws which prohibit the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors. The laws are similar to those introduced in Russia.
President Viktor Orbán will face the polls in 2026, and the new laws are seen as a crackdown on opposition to his reign. He is currently tailing in the polls to opposition parties.
“This whole endeavor which we see launched by the government, it has nothing to do with children’s rights,” said Dánel Döbrentey, a lawyer with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. He described the laws as “pure propaganda.”
Budapest Pride has vowed to continue on with their planned march in June this year. It will be the 30th annual March.
