Hungarian foreign minister hails UEFA's denial of German rainbow lights

Budapest, June 22, 2021 (AFP) - UEFA's refusal to allow Munich to illuminate the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for Wednesday's Germany-Hungary Euro 2020 match was hailed as the "right decision" by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday.

European football's governing body rejected Tuesday plans by the city of Munich to light the stadium in support of the LGBT community and to protest at a law passed last week by the Hungarian government.

"The leadership of UEFA made the right decision by not assisting in a political provocation against Hungary," Szijjarto said in a statement sent to AFP.

"Thank God common sense remains among the leaders of European football," he said.

"It is extremely harmful and dangerous to mix sports and politics," Szijjarto said previously about the plan.

UEFA said in a statement that it is "a politically and religiously neutral organisation."

"Given the political context of this request -- a message aimed at a decision taken by the Hungarian national parliament -- UEFA must refuse," it said.

The Hungarian parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing Fidesz party, approved the controversial legislation last Tuesday, which bans the "promotion" of homosexuality and gender change to minors, and outlaws any educational programmes or material in which homosexuality is mentioned.

UEFA's stance quickly drew criticism from Germany's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

"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.