MEP József Szájer admits to attending lockdown-breaking party in Brussels

Belgian police have dispersed an orgy on Friday evening for breaking lockdown rules, and as Belgian papers DH NET and HLN have revealed on Tuesday afternoon. As the video of the largest Belgian news site, HLN, reported, one of the 25 in attendance was a Hungarian MEP who has since resigned, but this information was not confirmed by official sources.

József Szájer, an MEP of Fidesz and the EPP has resigned on Sunday afternoon, so it was not particularly difficult to connect the dots, however, on Tuesday afternoon, the Christian democrat MEP has issued a press release admitting to taking part in the “private party.” The curt statement said:

"Belgian press published a story about a house party in Brussels on Friday which I attended. After the police identification, I told the officers that I am a Member of the European Parliament, as I had no ID on me at the time, the police conducted the necessary procedure, I received a warning and was taken home.

I have not consumed any drugs, I offered to undergo an official test, but it was not performed. Police say they found extasy pills. Those are not mine, and I have no knowledge about who planted them and how. I have made a testimony about this to the police.

I am sorry for breaking the ban on gatherings, it was an irresponsible act on my part, I will undergo any sanction this might incur.

With my resignation on Sunday, I drew the political and personal conclusions.

I apologise to my family, to my colleagues, to my voters. I ask them to evaluate my misstep against the background of thirty years of devoted and hard work. This misstep is strictly personal, I am the only one whose responsibility it is, I ask everyone not to extend it to my country or my political community."

According to Belgian papers, the “gang-bang party” was held at the first floor of a Brussels bar, with 25 people, mostly men. Footage of the scene makes it likely that the location was the gay bar called “Le Detour,” which is 30 metres away from the Brussels city hall, and in the same street as a police department. The party was busted by a special unit of the Belgian police tasked with enforcing the restrictions introduced over COVID-19.

There were several EU diplomats and an MEP confirmed as József Szájer at the orgy, and while most guests were taken in for questioning, the MEP was not due to his immunity. The MEP allegedly tried to flee by climbing down the bar's gutter, but was captured by another police unit, DH NET reported.

When József Szájer resigned on Sunday, he issued the following statement:

“My decision puts an end to an extended soul-searching. My resignation has nothing to do with the subject matter of the fight on the European political scene that is fiercer than ever. In this fight, I back the position of the Hungarian government.”

In response to questions from Telex, the European Parliament's press office told us that they have no confirmed information on Friday night's incident, noting that the EP's Standards of Conduct relate to the MEPs' conduct during parliamentary activities, and not their personal lives, and they refused to comment on Szájer's resignation.

Update at 5:04 PM:

Drugs were found in Szájer's backpack

On Tuesday afternoon, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office has released a statement about the incident in which they write that they have found narcotics in the backpack of a certain S.J. who was captured after climbing down the building's gutter with bloody hands, trying to flee the scene.

Responding to questions from Telex, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed that this "S.J." is indeed Hungarian MEP József Szájer.

The MEP refused our request for a comment on the press release.

Here is the full text of the press release: