EU Commission chief celebrates first LGBT ‘pride’ parade in Budapest after Orbán was ousted
Ursula Von der Leyen hailed Budapest's first LGBT parade since Orbán's removal, calling it a celebration of 'freedom' as Hungary shifts left under new Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
Participants cross the
Erzsébet Bridge during the Budapest Pride on June 28, 2025, in Budapest,
HungaryPhoto by Janos Kummer/Getty Images
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Mon Jun 29, 2026 - 9:17 am EDT
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(LifeSiteNews) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrated the first Budapest LGBT “pride” parade since the ousting of Hungarian conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
“Today the streets of Budapest are filled with joy and pride,” von der Leyen wrote on X. “Thousands came together to celebrate freedom and the right to be – or to become – yourself. I am so glad that the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary can finally march without fear.”
Economist Richard Werner responded to the post by stating, “Pride is one of the seven vices. And the main sin of Satan.”
On Sunday, tens of thousands of participants gathered for Budapest’s first LGBT “pride” parade since Orbán had been ousted. The former Hungarian prime minister instituted a ban on LGBT “pride” events in 2025, citing the protection of children from the ideologies and lifestyle promoted by the movement. However, the Budapest Pride parade still took place and drew a massive crowd as left-wing Mayor Gergely Karácsony circumvented the ban by organizing it as a municipal event.
New Hungary Prime Minister Péter Magyar has signaled a more pro-LGBT stance compared with his predecessor. While the ban on “pride” events imposed by his predecessors has not been revoked, this year’s parade was officially authorized by the police. Magyar largely avoided the topic during his campaign, likely for strategic reasons, as he sought to draw conservative voters away from Orbán. However, on election night, he said that he wanted Hungary to be a country “where no one is stigmatized for thinking differently than the majority, or loving differently than the majority.”
Magyar also said in Parliament that orphans would be better off adopted by same-sex “couples” than in the state care system, signaling openness to allow same-sex adoption.
The war of the flags before the ‘pride’ parade
Several days before the Budapest Pride parade, on June 20, a man removed “progress pride” flags from Erzsébet Bridge in Budapest and threw them into the Danube. The 58-year-old was later identified and questioned by police on suspicion of vandalism. He admitted to removing the flags and said he was “proud” of his actions and would “do exactly the same tomorrow.” He said he acted in accordance with his convictions and “for the future of my children and our children.”
Előd Novák, the deputy leader of the right-wing Our Homeland Movement, announced that his party would present the man with its “Public Courage Award” during the Family Pride March on July 11 and pledged to cover any charges imposed on the 58-year-old for his actions.
The youth wing of Our Homeland had placed Hungarian national flags on the Erzsébet Bridge before the pro-LGBT parade to counter the “pride” flags. Some of the Hungarian flags were, in turn, removed by unknown individuals who threw them into the Danube. Our Homeland announced it would file a police complaint, arguing that the removal of the Hungarian flags amounted to the desecration of a national symbol.
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- Budapest
- Budapest Pride
- Eu
- European Commission
- Gergely Karácsony
- Hungary
- Lgbt
- Peter Magyar
- Pride
- Ursula Von Der Leyen
- Victor Orban
