Milan, 2 July (LaPresse) – The mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, Viktor Orban's eternal rival, still reeling from the joy of Saturday's Pride in the Hungarian city, ruled out running in the 2026 elections in an interview with the daily newspaper La Repubblica. ‘I thought that by sleeping on it, with a cool head, I would understand better what happened. That's not the case. I'm still overwhelmed. I keep thinking about the many moments of joy and emotion I experienced, the smiles, the hugs, the handshakes,’ Karácsony said, referring to Budapest Pride. In his opinion, the message sent to Prime Minister Viktor Orban is: ‘You have no power over us. Then, if this government's time is up, we'll see in ten months,’ i.e. when the parliamentary elections are held. In this regard, when asked if he would run against Orban next year, Karaksony replied: "The most exciting thing for a politician is to defend values without any political calculation. I'm not particularly interested in the political consequences, what matters are the smiles and hugs on Saturday. One thing, however, is certain. I will not run for parliament next year under any circumstances. My work is here, in this wonderful and free city."