Hungary: Parliament adopts a law to prohibit pride march

The Hungarian Parliament adopted a large majority, Tuesday, March 18, a law aimed at banning the march of pride, marking an escalation in the policy of the nationalist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, aimed at restricting the rights of LGBT+people.

The text “Prohibits the holding of a rally which would violate the legislation” from 2021, according to which it is not possible to promote to minors “Homosexuality and change of sex”. Subjected only the day before, it was adopted by an exceptional procedure to a large majority by the power coalition, supported by extreme right deputies (136 votes for, 27 against). The opposition disturbed the vote by lighting smoke bombs and spreading the Russian anthem in the hemicycle. The legislation, which changes the law on freedom of meeting, aims to guarantee that only events “Respecting children's right to correct physical, mental and moral development can take place”.

For the organizers of the parade, scheduled for this year on June 28, it is “An additional step in the fascization of society”. “Since our childhood, we have to fight to be accepted and benefit from equal rights. The pride march has this everyday fight in the light ”they reacted, denouncing “The attempt at the power to dehumanize them”.

Facial recognition

Participants in the parade are a fine of up to 500 euros, sum “Who will be donated to child protection”. With the possibility for the police to identify offenders thanks to facial recognition tools.

Despite this threat, people “Want to come and display their support for the community”said the spokesperson for the march, Mate Hegedus, at the Agency France-Presse (AFP). “We are not going to let ourselves be intimidated by the government, which is looking for a scapegoat”he insisted.

Enhanced by the arrival at the White House of his ally Donald Trump, Viktor Orban continues to harden his speech and the legislative arsenal. He treated his political enemies on Saturday – judges, media and NGOs – “Bugs”promising “To eliminate this shadow army”. Constitutional revisions are also on the program, in order to expel the binationals deemed traitors to the nation or to establish that a person is “Either a man or a woman”.

Tense context

This offensive intervenes in a tense pre -electoral context, Viktor Orban faced an unprecedented challenge in fifteen years of reign in the person of a connoisseur of the mysteries of the system that has become fierce critical, Peter Magyar.

“It is very easy to gain votes by limiting the rights of such a minority in a very conservative society”Szabolcs Hegyi analysis, of the Association of Civil Liberties Tasz. Even if the law hears above all “Dissuade people from participating”the expert warns against a ban on the Russian model, “Undefer in the European Union” And “Totally contrary to the European Charter of Fundamental Rights”. Or “Are we going to stop?” »»he worries. If we modify the freedom of meeting to “Adapting it to political interests, there is a risk of arriving at a situation where no one will be able to demonstrate with the exception of those favorable to the government”.

In his speech on the state of the nation in February, Viktor Orban had “Advised the organizers of the Pride Marche not to take the trouble to prepare for this year's parade: it is a loss of money and time”. Since his return to power in 2010, the leader close to the Kremlin has been accused by the vast majority of his European allies of having gradually affected the rule of law. This earned him several procedures from Brussels and in particular the freezing of several billion euros in European funds.