The EU is set to release over €16 billion to Hungary that had been frozen under Viktor Orbán’s rule. Ursula von der Leyen praised the “winds of change” in the country since Péter Magyar was elected last month. The decision, which the new prime minister called a “historic breakthrough,” comes as Hungarian police have said they will allow next month’s Pride parade in Budapest to go ahead. Last year, they tried to block the event on orders from Orbán’s right-wing government.
Last year’s march made global headlines after Orbán’s Fidesz party backed a law—the first of its kind in the EU’s recent history—that created a legal basis for banning Pride events, citing a widely criticized need to protect children. Since Magyar won a landslide victory, sparking celebrations across Hungary as people marked the end of Orbán’s 16 years in power, the new leader has repeatedly voiced support for equality and freedom of assembly.
However, Magyar has not mentioned Pride events, nor has his recently formed government moved to reverse Orbán’s law banning them, leaving questions about this year’s events. Von der Leyen said he had already convinced the European Commission that the country was “turning the page,” and the money was being released for housing, transport, energy, small and medium enterprises, and social supports under cohesion funds.
“We can already feel a strong wind of change across Hungary,” the commission president told a press conference. “In only a few weeks, you have driven forward long overdue reforms,” she said to the conservative leader. Magyar told reporters in Brussels that he agreed with von der Leyen on all the steps needed to release the funds, and that Hungary would be able to pass all necessary laws. This suggests that any compromises to LGBTQ people’s rights will be corrected by Magyar.
About €2.2 billion of the released funds depend on restoring “academic freedom” in Hungary’s universities.
The organizers of Budapest Pride notified police this week of their plan to hold the 31st edition of the march on June 27. They said they had little doubt the event would go ahead, especially after the EU’s top court ruled that Orbán’s 2021 anti-LGBTQ+ law—amended last year to serve as a basis for banning Pride—was discriminatory, stigmatizing, and violated EU rules.
“After the extraordinary year of 2025, we trust in the cooperation of the authorities and their acceptance of the gathering,” Budapest Pride organizers said in a statement this week. “We warmly welcome everyone in June who took part in last year’s demonstration, as well as those who continue to believe in equal rights and a democratic Hungary, and those who would like to once again celebrate the transition to democracy.”
Police said they had given the march the green light to go ahead. In a statement to the AFP news agency, they said: “During the notification process for the 2026 Pride parade and the subsequent in-person consultation with the organizers, no grounds for prohibiting the assembly arose.” The statement added that police had issued “prescriptive-restrictive decisions regarding three counter-demonstrations,” suggesting those gatherings would also be allowed but at a distance from the Pride parade.
Despite the ban, last year’s march drew a record 200,000 people, according to its organizers, turning the event into a powerful symbol of defiance.The fiancé of Orbán and his government’s steady rollback of rights. Orbán’s government had threatened to use facial recognition software to identify and potentially fine participants up to €500, but police later confirmed they would not take action against attendees.
Key to last year’s march was the progressive mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, who stepped in as a co-organizer. He rebranded the event as a municipal cultural event in an attempt to bypass Orbán’s legislation. Months later, he was charged with organizing the banned parade, and prosecutors sought to fine him.
Géza Buzás-Hábel, a Roma rights campaigner in Pécs—home to the only Pride march in Hungary outside the capital—also faces a fine for organizing the city’s fifth edition of the parade last year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding the EU releasing 16 billion to Hungary covering beginner to advanced questions
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is actually happening
The European Union has agreed to release around 16 billion in funds to Hungary that were previously frozen
2 Why were these funds frozen in the first place
The EU froze the money because of concerns that Hungary wasnt following the rule of law specifically regarding judicial independence corruption and academic freedom
3 Does this mean the EU thinks Viktor Orbán has fixed the problems
Not entirely The EU says Hungary has made some legal changes to address the concerns so they are releasing the money However many EU officials and critics say the changes are not enough
4 Is this a onetime payment
No This is the unblocking of access to funds Hungary can now submit invoices and projects to receive this money over the next few years but its not a single cash transfer
5 Does this mean Hungary is bribing the EU
No Many critics see it as the opposite the EU is giving in to Hungarys demands in exchange for releasing the money
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 What specific funds are being released
The 16 billion comes from the EUs cohesion funds money meant for economic development infrastructure and regional projects in poorer member states
7 Is there still any money frozen
Yes Around 63 billion in COVID19 recovery funds are still frozen The EU says Hungary must first meet 27 super milestones on judicial reforms before that money is released
8 Why is the EU releasing the money now if the problems arent fully fixed
The EU needs unanimous support from all member states for key decisions like aid to Ukraine and a minimum corporate tax Hungary has been vetoing these Many see the fund release as a political compromise to get Orbáns support
9 What specific reforms did Hungary make to get the money
Hungary set up a new Integrity Authority to oversee EU fund use created an anticorruption task force and made it easier for courts to challenge government decisions Critics say these bodies lack real power
10 What happens if Hungary backtracks on its promises
The EU has
