On Wednesday, President Tamás Sulyok signed a new law limiting assembly rights, published in the Hungarian Official Gazette, which could enable the government to ban the upcoming Budapest Pride parade, scheduled for June 28. This law was introduced just days after its preliminary proposal was made available on the National Assembly's website.

Despite the revised legal landscape, the organizers of Budapest Pride remain resolute in their plan to hold the event.

Spokesperson Máté Hegedűs stated that they are currently consulting with legal experts regarding the event's format.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony has previously affirmed, both before and after the passage of this law, that Budapest Pride will take place; however, he has not provided specific details.

Hegedűs revealed that the organizers have met with the mayor to discuss potential options, emphasizing their goal to exercise their right to assembly.

"We find it unacceptable for a minority to be prevented from standing up for their rights," he said.

The 30th anniversary of Budapest Pride will coincide with the anniversary of the Stonewall riots on June 28, commemorating the 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York, which sparked protests and marked a significant event in the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Hegedűs clarified that the new law does not affect the other events scheduled as part of the festival, which begins on June 6, stating, "We have many programs planned."

The legislation seeks to justify the potential prohibition of the Pride parade by referencing child protection laws.

However, the government has not provided evidence that preventing the parade would correlate with the protection of children.

Attending a “prohibited assembly” could result in fines, and participants may be identified by law enforcement using facial recognition software.

The law was supported by representatives from the ruling party, along with Mi Hazánk and Jobbik, while opposition parties voiced their discontent.

Some opposition members expressed their dissent verbally, while representatives from the Momentum party, including Ákos Hadházy, lit smoke bombs in the parliamentary chamber as a demonstration.

Following this incident, Lajos Lőcsei, a representative from Momentum, shared a video of the exchange occurring after the smoke bomb incident, wherein Novák Előd, deputy head of Mi Hazánk, made remarks to Lőcsei.

Előd confirmed one of the statements attributed to him, which caused a confrontation in the assembly.

Also reported was a case where a Fidesz representative fell ill due to the smoke.

Prominent government-aligned journalist Zsolt Bayer criticized representatives of the Momentum party in an online blog post, calling for their removal from the parliament.

Momentum organized a protest in Kossuth Square that included blocking the Margit Bridge, leading to three arrests by the police.

Hadházy later referenced a 'hybrid regime' that he claims is rapidly heading towards open autocracy, indicating plans for ongoing protests against the 'technofascism' next week.

MEP Katalin Cseh from Momentum urged fellow European Parliament members to attend the Budapest Pride event.

Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, stated on Facebook that he believes Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is resorting to tactics from 2006, attempting to undermine the basic right of assembly for the Hungarian people amid his waning power.

He claimed that the Tisza Party is committed to ending the Orbán-Gyurcsány era and defending the constitutional right to assembly for all Hungarians.

Magyar stated that the prime minister is contemplating how far he can escalate hate rhetoric to maintain his authority, acknowledging that change is imminent.

Sulyok explained that conflicts between children's rights and the unlimited exercise of assembly rights can only be resolved by a proportional and necessary limitation of one fundamental right in favor of another.

He maintained that the restrictions in the new law pertain solely to specific behaviors that are prohibited regarding children's constitutional rights, asserting that the essence of the right to assembly remains intact.

He indicated that the application of the law in determining which gatherings would be subject to its provisions falls under the purview of individual regulatory considerations, with appropriate legal remedies available.

Additionally, inquiries about remarks made by Prime Minister Orbán in March were addressed by the President's communications office, which stated that the president does not comment on political speeches unless they incite division among the people.

Despite this, the communications office later clarified that their previous statement did not reflect Sulyok's personal opinion.

The response remained ambiguous regarding the president’s stance on Orbán's controversial comments.