Politically, Orban’s inability to stop Pride from going ahead risks projecting weakness at a time when his Fidesz party is trailing in the polls. However, a heavy-handed police response could also deepen public dissatisfaction and further undermine his support.

Beneath a blaze of rainbow flags and amid roars of defiance, big crowds gathered in the Hungarian capital Budapest for the city’s 30th annual Pride march – an event that, this year, is unfolding as both a celebration and a protest.