EU countries “alarmed” over Hungary’s worsening anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown

On Tuesday, the governments of 20 European Union countries expressed that they are “alarmed” over Hungary's escalating anti-LGBTQ+ measures.

In March, Hungarian lawmakers approved a bill that prohibits Pride events and allows authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify participants. Last month, MPs amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ+ events.

According to ‘Washington Blade’, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee announced on Tuesday that the police in Budapest have prohibited an LGBTQ+ rights march that was planned for June 1. In a press release, the Budapest-based human rights NGO stated that authorities referred to the law that bans Pride events and other demonstrations “displaying homosexuality.”

Budapest Pride is set to occur on June 28. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee and other organisations, including the Háttér Society, a Hungarian LGBTQ+ rights group, indicated they will contest the ban.

“We are deeply concerned by recent legislative and constitutional amendments infringing on the fundamental rights of LGBTIQ+ persons which were adopted by the Hungarian parliament on March 18 and April 14, 2025, following other anti-LGBTIQ+ legislation already introduced in previous years,” states a declaration issued by the governments of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

“Under the pretext of child protection, these legislative amendments allow fines to be imposed on participants and organizers of events, such as the annual Pride celebrations,” it continues. “The amendments also permit the use of facial recognition software at such events and for banning them. We are concerned by the implications of these measures on freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to privacy.”

The governments emphasise that they are “highly alarmed by these developments which run contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights, as laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.”

“Respecting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people, including LGBTIQ+ persons, is inherent in being part of the European family. This is our responsibility and shared commitment of the member states and the European institutions,” declares the statement.

“We therefore call upon Hungary to revise these measures, to ensure the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens are respected and protected, thus complying with its international obligations,” it concludes.