Lena Schilling donates for potential fines of the Budapest Pride
Strasbourg/Budapest – On June 28, the Pride Parade is set to take place in Budapest. However, due to a tightening of the law, a ban by the police is threatened. Austrian EU parliamentarian Lena Schilling (Greens) plans not only to participate in the parade alongside other parliamentarians but also to donate 7,000 euros for potential fines related to the organization and participation in the event. Schilling announced this on Tuesday in Strasbourg.
She has the utmost respect for all those who organized the Budapest Pride despite the intimidation, said the former lead candidate of the Austrian Greens for the European Parliament. “They are not fighting for an event. They are fighting for their fundamental rights, because they know: If they do not fight now, piece by piece, their right to love and live will be taken away.”
Advocate General of the CJEU sees discrimination
In Hungary, a law has prohibited depictions of homosexuality in front of minors since 2021 – which is intended to serve youth protection and protection against pedophilia. This has recently been further tightened by the Hungarian Parliament with additional measures against the LGBTQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, ed.). This is also intended to provide the legal basis for a ban on the Pride Parade, which is both a joyful celebration and a political demonstration. At the beginning of June, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (CJEU), Tamara Capeta, noted a significant departure of Hungary from the fundamental values of the EU and recommended that the Commission’s lawsuit from 2022 be upheld. The lack of respect or exclusion of a social group are red lines that are being crossed.
“The EU Commission and member states have been watching for years as (Hungarian Prime Minister, ed.) Viktor Orbán systematically oppresses queer people, minorities, and marginalized groups. We cannot speak of European values when these values are trampled on without consequence in a member state,” Schilling stated. “It is a shame that we have let it come to this.”
Organizers: “We protect fundamental rights”
“We are not just organizing an event. We are not just defending a parade. We are protecting the fundamental rights of all people in Hungary: our human dignity, the minimum of humanity. And no one should take that lightly,” said Viktória Radványi, spokesperson for Budapest Pride. “We demand concrete legal action. Hungarian citizens deserve the same fundamental rights as everyone else in the European Union. We will no longer accept being second-class citizens – neither in our country nor in Europe.”
On Tuesday, the EU Parliament discussed “freedom of assembly in Hungary” and the need for action from the Commission. “What the Commission is doing is not enough. I want a clear punishment for Hungary and a clear position,” Schilling said. Her colleague Thomas Waitz also referred in the press conference to the rule of law report, which will be voted on Wednesday. “What Hungary is doing is already sufficient to revoke Hungary’s voting rights. It is now unavoidable to impose consequences.”
The liberal mayor of the Hungarian capital, Gergely Karacsony, stated in a Facebook video on Monday that since it is a “municipal event,” no official approval is required. “Everyone is welcome at the Budapest Pride Parade.” In addition to Lena Schilling, over 20 members of the Greens/EFA group and Austrian Green politicians will accept the invitation, it was said today. It is also about ensuring that the Pride proceeds peacefully, Waitz said. “That is one reason why I am going. I care about European rule of law.”
Schilling donates 7,000 euros
When accepting her EU mandate, Schilling announced that she would donate every sixth gross monthly salary to civil society. About 3,000 euros will always go to the green citizens’ initiative association, while the remaining 7,000 euros will benefit the organizers of Budapest Pride and activists, particularly to cover any potential legal costs and administrative fines. (06/18/2025)
