Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Fianna Fáil MEP for Ireland South, has declared she will defy a ban imposed by the Hungarian government on this year’s Budapest Pride parade, pledging to march on June 28 in a show of solidarity with Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community.

Ní Mhurchú will join a cross-party group of Members of the European Parliament travelling to Budapest to challenge what she described as a “blatant attack on civil liberties within the European Union.” The move follows the Viktor Orbán government’s decision to outlaw the 2025 Budapest Pride event, part of a wider pattern of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that has drawn criticism from rights groups and EU institutions.

In a statement regarding the march, Ní Mhurchú said, “I would encourage people from across Europe to come to Budapest on June 28th and march in solidarity with our LGBTIQ+ brothers and sisters. This is a blatant attack on our civil liberties within the European Union. The Hungarian Government’s repeated violations of the rule of law and EU treaty principles is setting a dangerous precedent.”

Ní Mhurchú has urged the European Commission to apply pressure on Hungary by accelerating legal proceedings related to its 2021 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, including requesting interim measures from the European Court of Justice. She also warned Hungarian authorities against “heavy-handed tactics” during the parade, saying that any suppression of peaceful protestors would not go unnoticed by the international community.

Reflecting on the impact of the Pride ban, Ní Mhurchú highlighted the message it sends to young LGBTQ+ people in Hungary. “Can you imagine being an 18-year-old gay or lesbian person watching this unfold on the news? It sends a chilling message of fear and shame.”

Although the MEP’s choice to take part in Budapest Pride is commendable, she represents Fianna Fáil, a party criticised for failing to follow through on several key commitments to LGBTQ+ rights. While the party promised in its 2024 manifesto to ban so-called ‘conversion’ practices and expand mental health supports, it fell short on issues like gender recognition for young trans and non-binary people, comprehensive legal reforms, and better protections for intersex individuals.

The European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled that banning Pride events breaches fundamental human rights. As Hungary continues to defy EU values, Ní Mhurchú’s defiance signals growing impatience with member states undermining LGBTQ+ rights.