Mariëlle Paul travels to Pride in Budapest: A sign against Orbán's law!

Mariëlle Paul travels to Pride in Budapest: A sign against Orbán's law!

Amid ongoing tensions in the European Union over LGBTQ rights, the Dutch government is sending a strong signal: Demissionary State Secretary Mariëlle Paul will take part in the Pride festivities in Budapest. This comes despite restrictive laws recently passed by the Hungarian parliament banning Pride events in the country. How RTL reports, the Dutch Second Chamber has pushed to send an official delegation to Hungary to support the LGBTQ community.

The controversial legislation passed in Hungary in March 2025 aims to ban Pride activities and severely restricts the right to assembly. This regulation is part of the anti-LGBTQI+ course of the Hungarian government under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and is viewed as a serious violation of freedom of expression and assembly, as summarized in a European Parliament document. Hungarian law ensures that any gatherings that violate the law passed in 2021 to “promote” homosexuality and transgender identities to minors will be banned. This is in direct opposition to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which prohibits such discrimination.

A strong signal from the Netherlands

Mariëlle Paul's participation demonstrates the Netherlands' commitment to the rights of the LGBTQ community within Europe. Paul, who is responsible for education and emancipation, emphasized the importance of advancing LGBTQ rights in Europe. Despite the existing ban in Hungary, the 30th Pride parade on June 28th is still being prepared. As a sign of solidarity, the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, will also take part in the celebrations and describes the mayor of Budapest as an “exemplary fighter for human rights”.

“I want to underline the colorful and happy nature of Pride and am therefore bringing a cheerful outfit with me,” says Paul, who will arrive in Budapest the evening before the parade. At the same time, an important debate is taking place in the Netherlands about emancipation and the acceptance of LGBTQ people, a topic that concerns many in the country.

Urgent EU commitment

The situation in Hungary has also received widespread support from other EU states. How DW reports, 20 EU countries, including Germany, have called for action and asked the Hungarian government to revise its regulations. This is happening as part of an infringement procedure initiated by the EU Commission.

The Hungarian declaration restricting gatherings is perceived as a broad attack on the rights of the entire LGBTQI+ community. If the Hungarian government does not respond to the criticism, countries such as Germany have already expressed their intention to consider tougher measures, which could potentially include the withdrawal of voting rights.

At a time when discrimination and intolerance are commonplace, the presence of European voices like Mariëlle Paul's becomes even more important. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop, but one thing is certain: support for LGBTQ rights across Europe is more necessary than ever and the fronts are hardening.”