Tweets Won’t Protect Budapest Pride. Legal Action Can.
On 18 March 2025, Hungary passed a law banning all LGBTIQ+ Pride marches. Organising or attending one will now be punishable by fines, surveillance, or even prison time. Peaceful public expression of LGBTIQ+ identities has effectively been criminalised in an EU Member State.
And how has the European Commission responded?
With a tweet.
Commissioners Lahbib and McGrath declared:
“Our Union is one of freedom & equality. Everyone should be able to be who they are, live & love freely. The right to gather peacefully is a fundamental right to be championed across the European Union. We stand with the LGBTQI community – in Hungary & in all Member States.”
President Ursula von der Leyen did not make a statement of her own.
She retweeted it.
This is not enough. Not even close.
At a time when LGBTIQ+ people in Hungary are being silenced, surveilled, and criminalised simply for gathering peacefully, the Commission’s job is not to stand — it is to act. Under the Treaties, it has a legal duty to uphold EU values and defend fundamental rights.
Tweets won’t protect Pride. But legal action can.
A New Law Designed to Silence and Intimidate
On 18 March, the Hungarian Parliament rushed through legislation amending the Act on the Right of Assembly, effectively banning any public demonstration that “violates the Child Protection Act” — a reference to Hungary’s infamous 2021 “anti-LGBT propaganda” law. This vague and discriminatory language allows authorities to ban any event that even indirectly references homosexuality or gender diversity — including Pride.
The law:
- Bans all Pride marches and LGBTIQ+-related public demonstrations
- Punishes participation with fines up to €500 (40% of the monthly media salary)
- Criminalises organisers, who may face up to 1 year in prison
- Authorises the use of facial recognition to identify attendees
This is a direct violation of Article 12 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (freedom of assembly), Article 2 of the TEU, and multiple rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.
This is not just about Hungary. It’s about the integrity of the European Union’s legal order. It’s about whether EU citizens have the right to assemble peacefully in an EU Member State.
The Commission Must Step Up – Now
In 2021, the Hungarian “anti-LGBT propaganda” law triggered a swift and coordinated response. Within days, Member States issued a joint statement. Heads of State spoke out. The Commission launched an infringement procedure.
Today, with an even more extreme law on the books — banning the Budapest Pride March itself — we have radio silence.
President von der Leyen has not issued a statement.
The Commission has taken no legal steps.
There is no coordinated reaction from Member States.
Instead, the President of the European Commission is passively retweeting its Commissioners while fundamental rights are being dismantled in real time.
Forbidden Colours Calls for Immediate Legal Action
Forbidden Colours, in coordination with RECLAIM, has formally called on the European Commission to:
- Request interim measures before the Court of Justice of the European Union to suspend the application of the new law and allow Budapest Pride to go ahead safely this summer.
- Launch a new infringement procedure against Hungary for violating Article 12 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights — the right to peaceful assembly — and other EU laws.
We’ve sent a detailed legal letter to President von der Leyen and Commissioners Virkkunen, Lahbib, and McGrath outlining the urgent need for action. That letter is attached to this release, along with legal analyses from Hungarian and international human rights organisations.
The Commission has the tools. It has the mandate. What it lacks right now is the political will.
If the Commission fails to respond, it signals to Hungary — and to all Member States — that silencing minorities is politically acceptable in today’s EU.
This Is Not About One March – It’s About the Future of the EU
“This law is not just about Budapest Pride. It’s about whether the European Union still has the will to defend the values it was founded on,” said Rémy Bonny, Executive Director of Forbidden Colours.
“When tweets become a substitute for legal action, we’re all at risk. We need real leadership. We need the Commission to act.”
“It’s alarming that while so much attention is given to confronting Putin, there’s little action when EU Member States behave exactly like him.”, commented Esther Martinez, Executive Director of RECLAIM. “Banning Pride is a wake-up call. If something this extreme goes unchallenged, it sets a dangerous precedent — if this can happen, anything can.”
If Pride can be banned in one EU Member State without consequence, the precedent is set for others. This is a turning point. And the Commission is nowhere to be found.
“This is a defining moment for the European Union,” added Vincent Reillon, Advocacy Officer at Forbidden Colours. “Are we a Union that defends the right to be who we are — or one that hides behind social media posts when it gets politically uncomfortable?”
With 100 Days to Budapest Pride, There’s No Time to Lose
Budapest Pride is set to take place on 28 June. Under the current legal framework, it will be banned, and any attempt to organise it will carry criminal risk. If the Commission fails to act now, it will not only betray Hungary’s LGBTIQ+ community — it will betray the Charter, the Treaties, and the trust of EU citizens.
We don’t need tweets. We need rule of law.
We don’t need statements. We need legal action.
We don’t need the Commission to “stand” with us. We need it to defend us.
