For the first time in over a decade, the rainbow flag flew unmolested over Budapest. Sources on the ground confirm that Saturday’s Pride march drew tens of thousands, a defiant celebration that would have been unthinkable under Viktor Orban’s regime. The former prime minister, whose Fidesz party was ousted in a snap election last month, had turned Hungary into a laboratory for homophobic legislation. His so-called ‘child protection’ law effectively banned depictions of LGBTQ+ content to minors, a move widely condemned as a smear campaign against queer people.
But the fall of Orban has cracked the door open. The interim government, led by a coalition of centrists and liberals, has already signalled a reversal of the most draconian measures. ‘We are committed to restoring the dignity of all Hungarian citizens,’ a spokesperson told our correspondent. ‘The Pride parade is a symbol of that commitment.’
Yet the euphoria is tempered by hard realities. Internal documents leaked to this desk reveal that the security apparatus built by Orban to surveil and intimidate activists remains largely intact. The courts are still packed with Fidesz appointees. And the economy, battered by years of crony capitalism and opaque deals, leaves little room for ambitious social spending. ‘We are free to march, but we are not yet free from the consequences of Orban’s rule,’ said a veteran activist, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The UK government, eager to distance itself from the previous regime’s cosy ties to Orban, has been quick to embrace the new Hungary. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in a statement, reaffirmed London’s commitment to ‘supporting LGBTQ+ rights around the world’. But critics note that British aid to Hungarian civil society groups remains modest, and that the UK’s own record on trans rights has been shaky.
For now, the streets of Budapest belong to the celebrants. But the real work of dismantling Orban’s legacy has barely begun. The money trails, the stolen companies, the silenced journalists: all of it still demands an accounting. As one organiser put it, ‘We danced today. Tomorrow we dig up the graves.’
