The future of Budapest Pride's public parade is in question after a top Hungarian government official said the annual LGBTQ+ celebration should be held indoors.

While the announcement on Wednesday from Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff cited child protection concerns, it left questions unanswered about whether the government also planned to limit event attendance.

The move reflects Orban's ongoing restrictions on LGBTQ+ activities, emerging at a time when his nationalist Fidesz party encounters unprecedented opposition before the 2026 elections, reported Reuters.

LGBTQ+ advocates defended Budapest Pride as a family-friendly celebration that children can safely attend.

In an address to supporters on Saturday, Orban, who is known for his close ties to United States President Donald Trump, said organizers "should not even bother" this year and dismissed the event as a "waste of money and time".

The Hungarian leader offered no specific details about how the government would implement its restrictions.

Speaking to news outlet 24.hu on Wednesday, Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, declared Budapest Pride should take a different form this year from previous years, stating that the aim of the change would be to "enforce the point of view of child protection" and adding that he saw no such concerns with "a Pride that is held in a closed space".

Gulyas said the government planned to address the issue at a meeting on Wednesday before drafting future legislation. The event's organizers did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.

Andrassy Avenue, a spacious, tree-lined street in downtown Budapest, has served as the traditional route for Pride marchers for several decades.

Since taking office in 2010, Orban has advanced a Christian-conservative agenda. His controversial 2021 law, which restricted LGBTQ+ content for minors and banned "the promotion of homosexuality", drew sharp condemnation from rights organizations and European Union leaders.

While popular with Fidesz's core supporters, the legislation has been presented by Orban's administration as a child protection measure rather than an anti-LGBTQ+ initiative. However, the European Commission launched legal action against Hungary over the law, arguing it violates fundamental human rights.

Orban and his Fidesz party have led Hungary with nationalist, conservative, and anti-liberal policies, and the government has frequently clashed with the EU over issues of democracy, rule of law, and human rights.

Speaking to a tribunal at the Court of Justice of the European Union in November, a European Commission lawyer denounced the 2021 legislation as a "massive and flagrant violation of several important EU rules".

The lawyer added: "This is a frontal and serious attack on the rule of law and more generally on European society."

In a strongly-worded resolution passed in April, the European Parliament criticized the 2021 legislation, arguing it undermines both democratic principles and legal standards in Hungary.

jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com