Mayor of Sfantu Gheorghe, fined for flying ribbon strikingly resembling to Italy’s flag

The mayor of Sfantu Gheorghe, Antal Arpad, has been fined by RON 5,000 by the Covasna Prefecture, after he had announced that national symbols of the Magyars placed in the city on the occasion of March 15^th (the Magyars’ Day) would not be removed.

Covasna prefecture argued that the flags of other countries can be flown in Romania only together with the national flag and only on the occasion of the official state visits or international meetings, on official buildings and in public spaces.

Several people have posted on Facebook Tuesday photos featuring vertical Hungarian flags in the city, but which in fact are very much resemble to Italy’s flag.

Sfantu Gheorghe city hall replied they are not flags, but ribbons. “This is a ribbon in the national Hungarian colors. The order is right, as, if reversed, they represent the Magyar national flag- red-white-green,” explained the city hall.

The Covasna prefecture had asked the city hall of Sfantu Gheorghe to fly Romania’s flag along with the Hungarian ones. In retort, the local authorities in Sf. Gheorghe said that Hungary’s flag will be flown only on March 15, on Magyars’ Day, when is also expected Lázár János, minister, head of cabinet of the Hungarian PM.