On 27 June 2026, European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib delivered a doorstep statement at Budapest Pride, announcing a forthcoming EU Recommendation to ban conversion practices across the bloc and a proposed increase in EU budget funding for equality and civil society to €3.6 billion. Lahbib spoke at the event a year after the previous Pride was banned and participants faced prosecution, and following a change of government in Hungary in April 2026. She noted that charges against Pride organiser Gergely and Géza Buzás-Hábel, organiser of last year's Pécs pride, have been dropped. Lahbib also referenced the European Court of Justice ruling that found Hungary's so-called 'Child Protection Law' incompatible with EU law.
a Recommendation to ban conversion practices, which Lahbib described as torture, and a more than doubling of EU funding for equality and civil society in the next EU budget, to €3.6 billion.
The policy orientation is strongly pro-LGBTIQ+ rights, shifting the EU's stance from declaratory support to binding measures and increased financial commitments. The speech also signalled a conciliatory approach towards Hungary's new government, with Lahbib expressing willingness to support the country in building its future.
The announcement has major positive impact for LGBTIQ+ civil society organisations and activists, who stand to benefit from increased funding and legal protections. National authorities in EU member states will face new obligations to implement the conversion practices ban, potentially requiring legislative changes. Conservative groups and religious organisations may oppose the measures as an overreach of EU powers into national social policy. EU taxpayers will bear the cost of the increased budget allocation, though the total remains modest relative to the overall EU budget.