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 the political aspects.
A shot in the foot
The efforts to ban the march have seriously damaged Hungary's reputation, Mladá fronta dnes laments:
“Everything points to the Hungarian government having shot itself in the foot. If it had allowed the march to go ahead more or less freely, without ideological rhetoric or passing a new law, not much would have happened. The same would be true if it had left the decision to the municipalities and local governments - as in Israel, where demonstrations take place peacefully in liberal Tel Aviv but are hard to push through in religiously conservative Jerusalem. Hungary, however, opted for a general ban and has earned itself a reputation for obscurantism. The upshot? Now more than ever the country is the black sheep of the progressive West. And Orbán can ask himself: 'Was it worth it?'”
Too early to sit back and relax
One demonstration won't automatically bring change, hvg puts in:
“Sadly, even after the largest protest against the Orban government's expansion of power so far, we still can't be satisfied or joyous. The agonising question remains: was this a one-off event to be put down to fortunate circumstances, sunny weather, a light-hearted mood before the holidays, [Budapest Mayor] Gergely Karácsony and international attention? Or have we truly realised that there is only one way to take our destiny into our own hands? Which consists in rising up now, not only for ourselves, but also for others. Otherwise Saturday's march will remain nothing more than a colourful memory in the increasingly grey days of the Orbán regime.”
Irrelevant for the next elections
The march does not mark a shift in public opinion, writes the pro-government website vasarnap.hu:
“The majority of people, especially in rural areas, are not interested in these issues because they have more pressing things to worry about. ... Of course, the left-liberal intellectuals in Budapest are once again misinterpreting the situation and think they saved the world over the weekend. Then if the elections don't turn out the way they want them to, they'll blame the voters for not knowing what's good for them. ... That's why it won't matter how many people attended the Pride parade. Sure, it was a lot, but they probably always voted for the left anyway.”
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.”