For nearly a decade I watched Hungary slip further away from a fair and just democracy. Now, I worry the same thing is happening in North America.
Sara Swerdlyk, PhD
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
You may have seen the global headlines these past weeks that Hungary’s right-wing nationalist government, led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, passed a new law banning the annual Budapest Pride Parade.
As a Canadian sociologist studying authoritarianism, I spent most of the 2010s living in the Hungarian capital, taking part annually in what is one of Central Europe’s largest marches celebrating LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion.
For almost a decade, I had a direct view of Hungary’s creep towards what the Orban regime has labelled “illiberalism” — the establishment of an authoritarian rightwing regime through increasing attacks on civil society, the press, academic freedom, the electoral process, and the judicial system.
Now, back in North America, I can’t help but feel like I’m witnessing the turn to authoritarianism all over again.
The Pride Parade is an event that Budapest has held for thirty years. This March, the Hungarian parliament, through an expedited process, adopted an amendment to the law on the right of assembly, citing “potential harm to children” when introducing the stricter conditions for organizing mass events that they see as in contravention of Hungary’s controversial “child protection law.”
The new “Pride Act” further permits the police to use facial recognition in their efforts to prosecute those who disregard it — attendees could face fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($770 CAD).
The attack on Budapest Pride has been met with widespread criticism across Europe and ongoing street protests in the capital city, with critics arguing that the new law represents a restriction on the right of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression. Amnesty International has denounced the Pride ban, calling it a “full-frontal attack on LGBTI people.” Budapest Pride organizers have vowed that this year’s parade will go on, regardless of the new criminalization.
Over the past 15 years, much of Orban’s power has been built through scapegoating marginalized communities: migrants and refugees, Romani people (Hungary’s largest ethnic minority), Muslims, foreigners, and gender-diverse and queer communities.
It would be a mistake to think of Orban and Hungary as a political exception.
It is not a coincidence that Trump and other American politicians have openly expressed admiration for Orban’s approach to governance in Hungary, leading American progressives to identify ‘Orbanism’ as the “truth behind Trumpism.” Ron DeSantis’ restructuring of higher education in Florida has been described as “just a step behind Hungary’s fascist Viktor Orban” and “following a trail blazed by a Hungarian authoritarian” in his efforts to “make America Hungary.”
If Hungary is exporting illiberalism, what does this mean for those of us in Canada?
I can currently see clear warning signs that echo what happened in Hungary throughout the country. There has been an increase in political rhetoric as well as policies targeting transgender people, such as policies out of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and New Brunswick (although the latter has since been reversed). The last few years have also brought escalating anti-immigration attitudes in Canada, creating a “xenophobic backlash,” as well as a mainstreaming of racist, anti-migrant conspiracy theories. There is growing intolerance for people experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and addictions.
Put in a wider context, it is important to recognize that Hungarians know that the so-called “Pride Act” is not a partisan issue, or an identity-based concern. It is rather a line in the sand being drawn between people-led democracy and a far-right regime, and protests against the law have brought grassroots activists, liberal institutions, and opposition politicians from across the political spectrum together under the banner of democratic freedom and the rule of law.
While authoritarian leaders like Orban and Trump think they are invincible – and it may sometimes feel like everyday people are powerless in the face of them – we have to remember that Trumps and Orbans will always be met by resistance. Critics point out that Orban has introduced this new Pride Act precisely at a time when his popularity is waning and he is facing an unprecedented challenge from a new surging political opposition, which has united under the banner of a new political party that is currently polling higher than Orban’s party in the lead up to the 2026 Hungarian elections.
Hungarians are blockading the main bridge in Budapest, in protest of the Orban regime’s assault on human rights, democracy, and freedom of assembly. These thousands of Hungarians are marching not only against state attacks on LGBTQI+ people, but in support of a more democratic and free society.
We can take inspiration from those in Hungary who, despite all of the odds, continue to stand up against hate and fight for human rights. Let us learn from their history and tenacity as we fight the creep towards fascism here in North America.
Leaders were not able to take questions from journalists after last night’s debate because of incidents involving Rebel Media and Ezra Levant.
Six of the 17 reporters who asked questions came from Rebel News, True North, or Juno News.
Around 200 people protested against candidate Andrew Lawton for what an organizer called his “history with Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, and misogyny.”
