Budapest police have summoned Mayor Gergely Karacsony for questioning as a suspect in a criminal investigation after he helped organise the city’s 30th Pride parade in defiance of an official government ban. The Mayor’s office confirmed on Thursday that Karacsony will be questioned next week in a case that highlights growing tensions over LGBTQ rights in Hungary.
The June Pride celebration drew what organisers called a record-breaking crowd of more than 200 000 participants, despite Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling coalition having passed legislation specifically designed to prohibit the annual event. Budapest city hall’s decision to co-organise the parade was a strategic move to circumvent these new regulations.
“The mayor was summoned as a suspect by the investigating authority and will be questioned next week,” the mayor’s office told AFP. If formally charged and convicted, Karacsony could face up to a year in prison.
Mayor responds with defiance
Taking to Facebook after the summons, Karacsony remained defiant: “I became a suspect, and if that is the price we have to pay in this country for standing up for our own freedom and that of others, then I am proud of it.”
The environmentalist mayor’s stance represents a direct challenge to Orban’s government, which has implemented increasingly restrictive policies regarding LGBTQ rights over recent years, framing them as measures for “child protection.”
Prime Minister Orban had previously condemned the 30th Budapest Pride march as a “disgrace.” His government accused the opposition of staging the event “at Brussels’ command” and attempting to “force woke culture” onto Hungary.
In February, Orban declared his intention to ban this year’s celebration, which was followed by his ruling coalition codifying provisions into law and the constitution specifically designed to prohibit the parade.
Participants spared prosecution
While the mayor faces potential legal consequences, police announced earlier in July that they would not take action against parade participants, who could have faced fines up to 500 euros (approximately R11 400) for attending Pride.
The investigation against the mayor marks a significant moment in Hungary’s ongoing cultural and political conflicts over LGBTQ rights, with government authorities apparently willing to pursue criminal charges against elected officials who challenge the country’s increasingly restrictive policies.
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