A Hungarian Member of Parliament (MEP) was one of about 25 men, including two EU diplomats, present at a “lockdown party” that violated coronavirus restrictions in Brussels on Friday evening, Politico reported.
József Szájer, a senior member of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, was reportedly spotted by a passerby “fleeing along the gutter” after climbing out of a first-floor window of the apartment where the party was being held, writes the Guardian. He attempted to escape the party after police were called to the scene following a neighbor’s complaint about a night-time “disturbance,” according to Politico. The part was described as “an orgy” to local media. (RELATED: Belgian Authorities Allegedly Host Orgy Instead Of Looking For Terrorists)
FILE PHOTO: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for day two of an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium October 16, 2020. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS//File Photo
Police detained the man, and narcotics were found in his bag. After being given an official verbal warning by police, the man was escorted to his residence where he produced a diplomatic passport, identifying himself as S.J. (1961). The man then reportedly attempted to claim diplomatic immunity.
Szajer announced his resignation as an MEP on Sunday, asking people not to extend the situation to his political community or his country, but to treat it as “strictly personal,” according to Business Insider.
Szajer apologized for the incident, according to BBC, stating that he deeply regretted violating COVID restrictions. But he claimed the drugs were not his. “I didn’t use drugs, I told the police on the spot I was willing to undergo an official test, but they didn’t do one. The police said an ecstasy pill was found. It was not mine, I don’t know who planted it or how. I made a statement to the police about this.”
Brussels is currently under a 10pm to 6am curfew, and all bars and restaurants have been ordered closed until mid-January. Masks must be worn indoors and outdoors in public spaces. Individuals found to have breached the regulations face a €250 (£224) fine. Indoor gatherings are limited to 4 people.
A source in the EU Parliament reportedly said the MEP was being investigated over possession of narcotism, according to the Guardian. “A police report was drawn up for non-compliance with measures relating to the Covid-19 pandemic for all those present,” she said. “A report was also drawn up for SJ for violation of the narcotics legislation.
Szájer is a senior member of Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, who helped draft the country’s constitution in 2010. He served as head of the Fidesz delegation in the European Parliament and a member of the assembly’s foreign affairs committee.