The Guardian view on Budapest’s pride parade: a humiliation for Orbán and a triumph for European values | Editorial

Trailing in the polls, Hungary’s prime minister resorted to his polarising playbook by attempting to impose a ban. Mass defiance suggests a shift in the political zeitgeistIn late 1980s Hungary, courageous environmental protests against an unpopular dam project played a part in the eventual collapse of the country’s communist regime. Originally focused on protecting the quality of drinking water for about 3 million Hungarians, some of the largest demonstrations seen since the 1956 revolution came also to symbolise a wider rejection of one-party political rule. An era was coming to an end, as authority began to drain away.It would be premature to predict a similar fate for Viktor Orbán’s self-styled “illiberal” government, which presides over what the European parliament has described as a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy”. Mr Orbán has ruthlessly consolidated his power since becoming prime minister in 2010, not least through gradually exercising a suffocating hold across the media and civil society. But the extraordinary events of the weekend, after his government’s attempts to ban Budapest’s annual Pride parade, suggest a new vulnerability.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...