Pride will officially return to Budapest this June after Hungary’s government approved the march following the election defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán’s government banned Pride events last year, but more than 200,000 people still marched in protest. The announcement comes as the European Union released more than 16 billion euros in frozen funds after Hungary introduced reforms under new Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, who faced charges for supporting last year’s parade, celebrated the decision, posting, “Freedom and love cannot be banned.”
