Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has deemingly cancelled his trip to watch his country’s team play Germany in a Euro group stage match in Munich on Wednesday night.
The last-minute move comes after Munich’s mayor Deiter Reiter and city council had threatened to light up Allianz Arena stadium in rainbow colours in protest against Hungary’s anti-LGBT law. Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter’s application on behalf of the council made clear it wanted to protest a law passed last week by Hungarian lawmakers that prohibits sharing with minors any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment. Human rights groups denounced this law as anti-LGBT discrimination.
However, UEFA on Tuesday, declined plans by the city of Munich to have its stadium illuminated in rainbow colours for the Germany-Hungary Euro 2020 match.
Orban, who had planned to attend the Euro 2020 final group game at the Munich stadium on Wednesday, has cancelled his trip to the German city, according to German news reports.
Orban has called on German politicians to accept the decision by the UEFA.
‘Whether the Munich football stadium or another European stadium is lit in rainbow colors is not a state decision,’ he said in a statement, adding that the colours are seen in the streets of Budapest.
Germany’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community criticised UEFA’s stance.
“We find it very disconcerting how UEFA deals with values that should generally be accepted in society,” Markus Ulrich, a spokesman for Germany’s Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD), told AFP subsidiary SID.
“UEFA has not recognised the signs of the times – and it is clear to see which side it is taking with its decision.”
The last European Championship match in Munich takes place on July 2.
