Hungary’s latest constitutional amendment, passed on April 8, 2025, marks a severe contraction of civil liberties and a sharp escalation in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s authoritarian trajectory. Passed with a two-thirds majority by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition, the amendment empowers the Hungarian government to ban LGBTQ+ public gatherings, a move widely condemned by human rights organizations, legal scholars, and democratic institutions.
The vote—140 in favor, 21 against—was not only a legislative maneuver but a symbolic one: opposition lawmakers blew air horns in protest as civil demonstrators were physically removed by police. The state’s intent is clear—dissent will be silenced, assembly criminalized, and surveillance normalized.
At the heart of the amendment lies the redefinition of children’s rights as superior to nearly all others, including the right to peaceful assembly. This legislative language, framed as a protection of minors, mirrors Hungary’s infamous 2021 “child protection law” which banned the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to those under 18.
With this new amendment, the government expands that logic to entirely prohibit LGBTQ+ events in public, effectively outlawing Budapest Pride and similar demonstrations. The chilling effect is compounded by penalties of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (approx. $546) and facial recognition surveillance to track violators.
Hungary’s expansion of facial recognition technology—previously limited to missing persons and criminal investigations—now targets demonstrators under the guise of public safety.
“The sheer scale of the intrusion is staggering,” warns Ádám Remport, legal expert with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU).
Facial recognition enables authorities to identify, monitor, and potentially blacklist individuals attending banned gatherings. This technological overreach deters political expression and undermines the freedom of assembly, a foundational democratic right.
The amendment also enshrines biological essentialism in Hungary’s constitution, explicitly stating that there are only two sexes: male and female. This clause builds upon prior legislation barring same-sex adoption and trans legal recognition.
This constitutional exclusion invalidates the identities of transgender and intersex individuals, positioning the state in direct opposition to international human rights norms.
“It’s not just about exclusion—it’s about humiliation,” said Dánel Döbrentey of the HCLU.
This codified denial not only limits legal rights but removes entire communities from the realm of state recognition.
One of the most authoritarian provisions allows Hungary to suspend the citizenship of dual nationals from non-EEA countries for up to 10 years if deemed a threat to public order or national security.
This opens the door to politically motivated punishments, particularly for activists, journalists, or dissenters with dual citizenship. Hungary’s push to “protect sovereignty” through denaturalization echoes tactics used in autocracies to silence foreign-aligned opposition.
In a March 2025 speech, Viktor Orbán compared civil society groups and foreign-funded NGOs to insects, pledging to “eliminate the entire shadow army.” This rhetoric, coupled with legislative crackdowns, signals a coordinated campaign to dismantle democratic institutions and concentrate unchecked power.
By framing journalists, civil rights groups, and legal watchdogs as enemies of the state, Orbán cultivates a culture of fear—deterring oversight and emboldening state repression.
Despite the authoritarian wave, opposition voices continue to resist. From lawmaker Dávid Bedő physically blockading Parliament’s garage, to legal experts challenging the amendment’s validity, a new pro-democracy resistance is taking shape.
Momentum is growing for Hungary’s 2026 elections. Polls show Orbán’s grip slipping against a united opposition. But with each passing law, democratic backsliding accelerates and the cost of dissent rises.
Hungary is becoming a cautionary tale. What began as populist rhetoric has evolved into constitutional engineering, surveillance expansion, and civil rights rollbacks. If left unchallenged, this blueprint may embolden illiberal regimes elsewhere.
The international community must confront Hungary’s growing democratic deficit before it metastasizes across borders. Democratic nations, institutions, and human rights defenders must prioritize restoring civic freedoms in Hungary before the lights go out completely.
