The Pride March That Signalled a Hungary Beyond Orbán – COMMENTARY

Fidesz's anti-LGBTIQ+ pushback failed – and their own voters noticed

3 July 2025

Despite government bans, Budapest has just hosted its biggest Pride march ever. The parade helped forge a democratic spirit – and it’s the ruling party Fidesz that felt the blow most sharply.

Just metres from the parade’s endpoint, rainbow flags drifted through the park, strangers shared drinks and impromptu debates flared beneath the trees. For a few hours, Budapest looked and felt like a capital in the EU – not just geographically but politically.

This year’s Pride wasn’t just a protest. It was proof of life, and for the ruling party, Fidesz, that’s a problem.

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Luca Soltesz

Luca is from Hungary, but has lived in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands before returning to her home country. She just finished Political Science in Amsterdam, where her thesis focused on party politics and party funding. She is interested in regional politics, and is writing about Hungary and the Western Balkans at Visegrad Insight.

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