Belgium’s government issued new travel guidance on Friday for Belgian nationals heading to Hungary, amid rising tensions around the Budapest Pride march set for Saturday.
“We remind you that participation in a demonstration that is not allowed by the Hungarian authorities is the responsibility of each individual participant,” Belgium’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We advise any participants to exercise the necessary vigilance and to keep up to date with the current situation through the media and social media of the embassy in Budapest,” it said. Participants should keep distance from possible counter-demonstrations, “and in the event of disturbances, follow the guidelines of the local police.”
The warning follows a decision by Hungarian police on June 19 to ban the annual LGBTQ+ march scheduled for Saturday. Authorities cited a law passed in March that asserts the protection of children must take precedence over the right to assembly.
Following the new legislation, both the U.K. and Canada updated their travel advisories for Hungary ahead of the march, warning that participants could face criminal penalties or fines under new legislation that bans Pride parades and allows police to use facial recognition to identify attendees.
On May 26, a coalition of at least 16 EU countries — including the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Denmark, France, Sweden and Austria — issued a joint statement condemning the Pride ban and urging the European Commission to take action.
On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen released a video statement calling on Hungarian authorities to reverse the decision. “I call on the Hungarian authorities to allow the Budapest Pride to go ahead,” she said. “To the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary and beyond: I will always be your ally.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán swiftly responded, criticizing what he described as EU overreach. He stated that the European Commission should “refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs of member states,” adding that it is a matter “where it has no role to play.”
In an interview with Hungary’s Kossuth Radio on Friday, Orbán reaffirmed his position and warned of “legal consequences” for those who defy the ban. “We are adults, and I recommend that everyone should decide what they want, keep to the rules … and if they don’t, then they should face the clear legal consequences,” he said.
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