<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Spanish government expressed this Friday its "unwavering commitment to equality, diversity, and the rights of LGBTQ+ people" on the occasion of the Budapest Pride March, which will take place this Saturday.</strong></h4> "On the occasion of the Budapest Pride March on June 28, Spain reaffirms its unwavering commitment to equality, diversity, the rights of LGBTQ+ people, and the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of association," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "Around the world, Pride Day marches commemorate the fight against discrimination, criminalization, and violence against LGBTQ+ people and are a tool to demand more just and equal societies where there is no setback in the rights of LGBTQ+ people," it continued. According to the Foreign Ministry, “the EU is built with human rights at its core, as enshrined in the Treaty on European Union and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.” Among these rights, it continued, “are the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, which are violated by the denial of authorization to hold a demonstration to raise awareness about discrimination based on sexual orientation, as the European Court of Human Rights has already ruled on numerous occasions.” “European regulations and jurisprudence also protect LGBTQI+ people by expressly prohibiting any discrimination based on sexual orientation and allowing for the adoption of measures to combat discrimination,” the Foreign Ministry warned. “Spain is fully committed to the rights of LGBTIQ+ people and to the defense of human rights. We will continue working for the European values of freedom and tolerance, to build free societies in which all people can enjoy a full life, without harassment or discrimination based on their sexual orientation or identity, gender expression, or sexual characteristics,” it concluded. On May 27, seventeen European Union member states, led by the Netherlands and including Spain, issued a joint statement condemning the recent measures adopted by the Hungarian Parliament, which they consider to violate the fundamental rights of LGBTIQ+ people. Specifically, the statement referred to the reforms approved on March 18 and April 14, 2025, promoted under "the pretext of child protection" and which, among other things, allow "fines to be imposed on participants and organizers" of events such as Pride celebrations, authorize "the use of facial recognition software," and empower authorities to "ban such events." Hungarian Minister of European Affairs János Bóka categorically denied that a ban on Pride celebrations exists in his country. "There is no such thing as a Pride ban in Hungary," he stated that same day in Brussels, before participating in the General Affairs Council, where the eighth hearing of the Article 7 procedure against Budapest was being held, initiated by the European Parliament in 2018 amid growing concerns about the deterioration of the rule of law in the country. The hearing focused specifically on its legislative drift against LGBTQI+ rights.
