BUDAPEST -- A Hungarian politician has quit the country’s ruling Fidesz party amid continuing fallout from his attendance at what Belgian media said was a sex party in Brussels held in violation of coronavirus lockdown rules.
Jozsef Szajer’s resignation on December 2 came one day after he admitted being present at the private party on November 27 and resigned as a member of the European Parliament.
"The actions of our fellow deputy…are incompatible with the values of our political family," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
Szajer is a founding member of Fidesz, which Orban has used to pass increasingly authoritarian policies in Hungary. The party campaigns for conservative Christian values and rails against LGBT issues.
Szajer is also one of the coauthors of a controversial constitutional amendment in 2010 that defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman.
Belgian media have described the party attended by Szajer as a lockdown sex party that allegedly involved men only and included diplomats.
Belgian police, who detained about 20 people, said Szajer was seen "fleeing along a drainpipe” and that "narcotics were found in his backpack.” Szajer was escorted to his home, where he identified himself by presenting his diplomatic passport, police said.
The 59-year-old Szajer issued his own statement saying he did not use drugs and that he had "no knowledge" of the narcotics found in his backpack.
In announcing his resignation as a European lawmaker, he said that for some time “participating in the struggles of daily politics has been an increasing emotional burden for me."
Orban defended Szajer in his address.
"We will not forget nor repudiate his 30 years of work, but his deed is unacceptable and indefensible. Following this, he took the only appropriate decision when he apologized and resigned from his position as a member of the European Parliament and left Fidesz," he said.
