Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbán’s rollback of rights
Good morning and welcome to the Europe live blog. My name is Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you all the latest news lines.
We start with news that record numbers of people are expected to take part in Budapest Pride on Saturday. Hungarians will join forces with campaigners and politicians from across Europe in the march that has become a potent symbol of pushback against the Hungarian government’s steady rollback of rights.
“This weekend, all eyes are on Budapest,” Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for equality, told reporters in the Hungarian capital on Friday.
“This is bigger than one Pride celebration, one Pride march. It is about the right to be who you are, to love who you want, whether it is in Budapest, in Brussels or anywhere else.”
The country’s main Pride march was cast into doubt earlier this year after the country’s ruling Fidesz party – led by the rightwing populist Viktor Orbán – backed legislation that created a legal basis for Pride to be banned, citing a widely criticised need to protect children.
The government also said it would use facial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events, potentially fining them up to €500 (£425).
The move caused outrage from within Hungary and beyond, turning Budapest Pride into a rallying cry against a government that has long faced criticism for weakening democratic institutions and gradually undermining the rule of law.
Read the full story here:
In other developments:
Severe weather warnings have been issued across southern Europe, including in Italy, Spain and Portugal, with temperatures expected to get close to or locally even above 40C this weekend, prompting concerns about health hazards and wildfires (14:32).
Expected temperatures on early Saturday afternoon: Madrid 38C, Thessaloníki 38C, Florence 38C, Rome 37C, Lisbon 36C, Tirana 36C, Athens 35C.
It will be hot in Paris (32C) and still warm in London and Berlin 28C, and in Brussels 27C.
European leaders failed to agree on the latest, 18th, package of sanctions at last night’s European Council meeting in Brussels, with Hungary and Slovakia holding firm in their opposition to the proposed measures.
But it’s worth noting that the EU has agreed on rolling over the already existing sanctions against Russia, which were due to expire.
In Germany, lawmakers agreed to suspend family reunification rights for refugees without asylum status as conservative chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government pursues a crackdown on immigration.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Estonia’s stated intention to let Nato allies’ nuclear-capable aircraft use its territory was a direct threat to Moscow.
Key events
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Budapest in defiance of the Hungarian government’s ban on Pride, heeding a call by the city’s mayor to “come calmly and boldly to stand together for freedom, dignity and equal rights”, writes Lili Rutai in Budapest and Ashifa Kassam.
Jubilant crowds packed into the city’s streets on Saturday, waving Pride flags and signs that mocked the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, as their peaceful procession inched forward at a snail’s pace.
Organisers estimated that a record number of people turned up, far outstripping the expected turnout of 35,000-40,000 people.
“We believe there are 180,000 to 200,000 people attending,” the president of Pride, Viktória Radványi told AFP. “It is hard to estimate because there have never been so many people at Budapest Pride.”
The mass demonstration against the government was a bittersweet marking of Budapest Pride’s 30th anniversary; while the turnout on Saturday was expected to reach record levels, it had come after the government had doubled down on its targeting of the country’s LGBTQ+ community.
Tens of thousands of students and anti-corruption protesters took part in a rally in Belgrade on Saturday, demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of president Aleksandar Vucic.
Police deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Vucic’s backers from across the country gathered in a counter-protest.
The student protest is set to last until 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) at Slavija Square and Nemanjina Avenue, where most of the government offices are located.
The protesters, who want the government to heed their demands by the end of the protest, have pledged non-violence, Reuters reports.
Here is footage of tens of thousands of people gathering for Budapest Pride march despite the government’s threat of “legal consequences”.
Sam Jones
Authorities across Europe are on alert as the first heatwave of the summer pushes temperatures up to 42C (107.6F), as the fastest-warming continent continues to suffer the effects of the climate emergency.
Spain’s state meteorological office, Aemet, issued a special heat warning on Friday, saying temperatures could reach 42C in some southern areas of the country over the coming days.
“Very high and persistent temperatures are expected, both during the day and at night, which could pose a risk to exposed and/or vulnerable people,” Aemet said.
Madrid’s health ministry also warned people to take extra care in the heat, reminding them to stay out of the sun, keep hydrated and pay close attention to those who are older, pregnant or who have chronic health conditions.
Two-thirds of Portugal will be on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires as temperatures of up to 42C are expected in Lisbon.
As temperatures in Marseille approach 40C, authorities in France’s second-largest city have ordered public swimming pools to be made free of charge to help residents beat the Mediterranean heat.
With peaks of 39C expected in Naples and Palermo, Sicily has ordered a ban on outdoor work in the hottest hours of the day, as has the Liguria region in northern Italy. The country’s trade unions are campaigning to extend the measure to other regions.
By Lili Rutai in Budapest
“I’m a Budapest resident, who cares about freedom,” says Mici, 21, a student who has been to multiple pride marches, but thought about coming to this one carefully because of the reported facial recognition system.
She has sought legal advice on what to do if she encounters police, but she felt safe in the crowd. “At first, I was scared to come out because of the news, but I feel safe with so many people.”
“We can’t just say that it’s not going to change, and not participate,” she adds. “I think the crowds from across Europe, the record numbers, will make Hungarian people see that this cause is well-supported.” She “hopes” it will also change the government’s view.
Elton, 30, a Brazilian living in Hungary wore a hat and sunglasses. He was afraid for his job and immigration status, but his Hungarian boyfriend persuaded him to attend. “This is my second time at Pride, but the first time I feel insecure about it,” he said.
By Lili Rutai in Budapest
“At least this brought the family together,” says Timi, 49, who came with 23-year-old daughter, Zsófi. Zsófi lives in Barcelona, and came home for Pride.
She has attended multiple marches before, but this is the first time she brought her parents along. They are among the many for whom the restrictions on assembly were the last straw. “We came (to Pride) because they tried to ban it,” Timi says. “And we stand for every minority.”
Viki Márton, 46, a single parent, came with her 9-year-old daughter. For both of them, this is the first time at Pride. She was widowed, and, without a husband “this regime doesn’t treat us like a family,” she says, so she sympathises with sexual minorities. They came equipped with hats, water spray, and a swimsuit, more worried about heat than right-wing protesters.
“I want her to see the reality,” Márton added. “And I’m so excited to be here!”
Here are some views from people attending the march in Budapest.
“The right to assembly is a basic human right, and I don’t think it should be banned. Just because someone does not like the reason why you go to the street, or they do not agree with it, you still have the right to do so,” Krisztina Aranyi said.
“This is about much more, not just about homosexuality, …. This is the last moment to stand up for our rights,” Eszter Rein Bodi said.
“None of us are free until everyone is free,” one sign read.
Some more photos from this afternoon’s pride march in Budapest…
Helen Davidson
Taiwan’s vice-president has said she will not be intimidated after reports by Czech intelligence that Chinese officials planned to stage a car collision when she was in Prague last year.
Hsiao Bi-khim visited the Czech Republic in March 2024, in the first overseas visit by her and Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, after winning the election in January. It was reported at the time that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following her car – under police escort – from the airport.
This week Prague intelligence officials told local media that the incident was part of a much larger and escalatory plan by Chinese diplomats and intelligence officers working out of the embassy in Prague, which included preparing to stage an apparent car collision.
On Saturday, Hsiao thanked Czech authorities for ensuring her safety during the visit. “The CCP’s unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan’s interests in the international community,” she said in a social media post.
