Hungary enacts constitutional changes curtailing LGBTQ+ rights and civil freedoms

Department of Research, Studies and International News 15-04-2025

Hungary’s government has approved a highly controversial constitutional amendment that significantly restricts LGBTQ+ rights and has raised alarms among human rights organizations, civil society groups, and international observers. The newly passed measures, spearheaded by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party, have been widely criticized as a direct attack on civil liberties and an effort to consolidate political power.

The amendment, passed by a vote of 140 to 21 along party lines, entrenches recent policies aimed at limiting public expression and gatherings by LGBTQ+ individuals and groups. It formally prohibits LGBTQ+ events, including Pride marches, and empowers the state to use surveillance technology such as facial recognition to monitor and identify participants. Offenders may face fines or other legal consequences, raising concerns about surveillance and repression.

In addition to banning LGBTQ+ public events, the amendment defines gender strictly as male or female, removing legal recognition of diverse gender identities. Human rights groups argue that this move strips away basic dignity and recognition for transgender and non-binary individuals. According to the government, these steps are framed as efforts to safeguard the moral, physical, and mental development of children, yet critics insist this is a veiled attempt to suppress minority rights and bolster Orbán’s populist appeal.

The legislation also grants new authority to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals if they are deemed a threat to Hungary’s national security or sovereignty. This controversial clause has been seen as a possible mechanism to target political opponents and stifle dissent, particularly among critics with dual citizenship outside the European Union.

Local and international watchdogs have condemned the amendment as a dramatic escalation in authoritarian governance. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee described the legislation as “legalizing fear,” warning that it sets a dangerous precedent in an EU member state. “The government is intensifying its campaign to erode human rights protections and silence critical voices,” the group stated.

The amendment bears resemblance to policies enacted in Russia, particularly in its emphasis on so-called “traditional values” and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ communities. Orbán has styled himself as a defender of family values, and under his leadership, Hungary has previously banned same-sex couples from adopting children and barred the inclusion of LGBTQ+ topics in school curricula.

Opposition groups, including the centrist Momentum party, attempted to prevent the vote from taking place. In a dramatic protest, activists and opposition lawmakers tried to block entrances to the parliamentary building, chaining themselves together and urging citizens to resist what they described as a slide toward authoritarianism. Police removed protesters, but the law was passed regardless.

The constitutional amendment follows a fast-tracked law passed weeks earlier that prohibited public LGBTQ+ events altogether. Since then, thousands of citizens have participated in weekly demonstrations across the country, chanting slogans such as “democracy” and “freedom of assembly is a right.” Independent MP Ákos Hadházy remarked that the government’s actions go beyond dismantling democratic norms, likening them to “bulldozing” democracy outright.

Critics suggest the government is using LGBTQ+ people as scapegoats in the lead-up to national elections, aiming to rally conservative voters and distract from other political issues. Orbán’s administration continues to be accused of undermining democratic institutions, with growing opposition from within, including challenges from former Fidesz insiders like Péter Magyar.

The new laws have also drawn international condemnation. A coalition of 22 embassies in Budapest, including those representing France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement expressing concern that the measures infringe on fundamental freedoms such as peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. EU Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, voiced solidarity with Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community, reiterating that the right to live openly and love freely must be upheld throughout the European Union.

Budapest Pride organizers, despite the ban, have vowed to proceed with this year’s march scheduled for June 28, denouncing the government’s rhetoric and actions as authoritarian rather than protective. “This isn’t about children; it’s about silencing and control,” they said.

This latest constitutional amendment is the 15th introduced by the ruling coalition since it unilaterally drafted the current constitution in 2011. Orbán has also made recent speeches claiming foreign influence is being used to destabilize Hungary through networks of activists, journalists, and NGOs, statements critics say echo conspiracy theories.

Several rights organizations, including Amnesty International, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, and the Háttér Society, have urged the European Commission to initiate infringement proceedings against Hungary. These groups argue that the amendment violates EU law and poses immediate risks to the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ individuals and dissenters.

They warn that the consequences of the new law reach far beyond LGBTQ+ communities, threatening the basic foundations of civic participation and human rights in the country. The ban, believed to be the first of its kind within the EU, may signal a broader shift toward repression unless urgent action is taken.