Huge Pride march in Budapest: a debacle for Orbán?
According to the organisers nearly 200,000 people took part in this year's Budapest Pride – far more than in previous marches. Around 70 MEPs also joined the ranks of those demonstrating for LGBTQ rights. Budapest's mayor had framed the event as a municipal 'freedom festival' to foil the Orbán government's attempts to ban it. Commentators shed light on various aspects.
The emperor is naked
The Orbán system is in decline, writes Der Standard:
“The ineffective ban makes Orbán look like a naked emperor. An autocrat who is unable to enforce his bans displays weakness. This unsettles his supporters who idolise him for his strength and encourages his opponents. Orbán miscalculated with the Pride ban. The hatred of gays and transsexuals he fomented no longer polarises Hungarian society as much as he had hoped. Certainly, resentment still runs deep far out in the countryside, but there are no Pride marches there. Budapest, on the other hand, is today just as much a Pride city as Vienna, Munich or London.”
A hammering for the government
Mediapart notes:
“In Viktor Orbán's Hungary, neo-Nazi rallies are tolerated and anti-fascist counter-demonstrators are persecuted. Pro-LGBTQIA+ demonstrations are banned, but not far-right counter-demonstrations. The Our Homeland Movement (Mi Hazánk) and its far-right auxiliary groups had no trouble obtaining permission from the authorities to block the march. ... They invited 'white heterosexual Christians' to swell their ranks, only to find themselves with just a few dozen supporters in the face of a massive crowd. ... On Saturday, 'Orbánism' clearly exposed its limits: it has not won its culture war against political liberalism. Now the battle will continue at the ballot box next year.”
Oh to be happy and free
Not just the ban but also the Hungarian prime minister's reaction have backfired, Népszava believes:
“According to Viktor Orbán, Budapest Pride was held 'on orders from Brussels'. Two conclusions can be drawn from this: the PM is apparently incapable of getting off the runaway train of stupidity. Moreover, he has lost the ability to correct his mistakes. And his remark that the rainbow parade is proof of what our lives would be like if the country were not led by a 'national government' is a spectacular own goal. ... Hungarians have indeed had a taste of how their lives could be without the Fidesz government, which constantly stirs up hatred: happy and free.”
Authoritarian course is no longer tenable
For El Mundo this is the last straw:
“With his ban on the Pride parade, Orbán has stepped up his illiberal challenge to Europe and called into question its fundamental values in such a sensitive area as individual freedoms and human rights. The Hungarian prime minister's authoritarian course is reaching intolerable proportions. ... After strengthening his power at the expense of the judiciary and curtailing the freedom of the press, Orbán has launched an ultra-conservative social policy agenda that is incompatible with EU membership. ... The EU has mechanisms at its disposal to sanction members who don't abide by the rules. It's time to activate them and put an end to his offensive against the rule of law.”
More than just a colourful spectacle
Sydsvenskan stresses fundamental principles:
“The right of homosexuals to love freely and to take their own decisions concerning their bodies and identities does not impinge on the freedom or rights of heterosexuals. On the contrary. A society that cares for, protects and stands up for minorities is freer and more inclusive for everyone. But that is not what right-wing nationalists and populists are striving for. As a result, Pride is often reduced to nothing but a colourful, naked spectacle and used as a punching bag in the clash of cultures, when in reality this has always been one of democracy's most important struggles for freedom.”
Success despite defeat?
For Index, the Pride issue could even help the government to keep its political camp united:
“With the Pride demonstration in Budapest, Viktor Orbán and [ruling party] Fidesz have suffered a political defeat. ... What consequences will this have for Fidesz and Orbán? None whatsoever. Fidesz will emerge stronger from this political situation. ... The more people attend Pride, the more people defy the police and the government ban, and the more clear it becomes to Fidesz supporters that they are facing a serious opponent. ... According to opinion polls, Fidesz voters fully support the government on LGBTQ issues.”