The Guardian view on Budapest’s pride parade: a humiliation for Orbán and a triumph for European values | Editorial

IN in the late eighties of the last century, the courageous environment Protests Against a non -popular dam project played a role in the final collapse of the Communist regime in the country. She originally focused on protecting the quality of drinking water for about 3 million Hungarians, and some of the largest demonstrations that were seen since the 1956 revolution, also symbolizing a broader rejection of political rule by one side. There was an era approaching its end, as power began to drain.

It will be too early to predict a fate similar to Victor Urban Predicate The “non -liberal” government, which heads what the European Parliament described as “The hybrid system of electoral tyrannyMr. Urban has strengthened his strength without mercy since he became prime minister in 2010, not the least of them through a gradual practice in a state of suffocation in the media and civil society. But the exceptional events are at the weekend, after his government’s attempts ban The annual Budapest Parade’s annual width suggests a new loophole.

The organizers were hoping that there would be 40,000 people who might confuse intimidation, potential fines and controversial use of facial recognition technology, after amending the Hungary Constitution, LGBTQ+ events allowed a threat to children. In this event, on a burning summer day in Budapest, they are estimated That between 185,000 and 200,000 may have increased solidarity. It was, to a large extent, the largest of pride has ever happened in the city. In the streets, large numbers of the first signers and parents were with sons and daughters, and demonstrators from Rough The prevailing political spectrum.

The size of this reaction indicates one of the Prime Minister’s goals. Late his former ally turned into a bitter critic, Peter MagiarWith a large margin of opinion polls, Mr. Urban chose to target the LGBTQ community, just as the migrants have been targeted in the past. In an attempt to become the first European Union leader in banning pride, his main goal was to mobilize support across the right, Goad Brussels and put a polarization trap for Mr. Magyar. But the result was the largest demonstration to combat governance since 2010, and collective mobilization in defending the broader principles of freedom of assembly and minority rights.

Mr. Magiar, who did not attend the march, limited Sim The same on Saturday to criticize Mr. Urban’s permanent efforts “to transform the Hungarian against the Hungarian, in order to create fear and divide us.” By avoiding the prime minister’s culture wars, Tesza’s party focused on the uncompromising campaigns on living, health care and corruption. In a country, in the hour of Mr. Urban, one became one Polest In the European Union, this is a reasonable approach.

But the size Pride The demand for Sinews in Brussels should be stiff if, as it seems, Mr. Urban resorts to more desperate tactics than ever to keep power. More than 70 MEPS participated in the march, and the Commissioner of Equality, Hadja Lahbib, was in Budapest to meet civil society organizations. In general, though, Brussels’s response to Mr. Urban’s provocation was restricted with his fear of seeing to interfere in the period before the elections next spring.

This now seems to be a bad reading of the national mood. Freedom of assembly and non -discrimination are the basic and non -negotiable values ​​that must be respected by any member state of the European Union. As they passed these numbers on the Erzsébet Bridge, with the Danube River below, Saturday’s marches showed this point in an unforgettable way.

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