Scandal over male orgy in Brussels: “Like in a pub, but...

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• József Szájer represents the Hungarian Fidesz party and strict Christian-conservative values.

• Now he has resigned as an MEP.

• He had previously attended a sex party with several men. Since this took place during the lockdown, the police intervened and arrested the half-naked people.

• In Hungary there is disbelief and malice. It is uncomfortable for Viktor Orban.

Hungarian MP József Szájer is Viktor Orban’s husband in Brussels. A key figure in the right-wing conservative Fidesz party, which he represents in the European Parliament, and a household name in his home country. He loudly defends the values ​​of Christianity and the family, fights against the LGBT community and the “unreasonable demands” of the EU. Last Sunday, Szájer surprised everyone with the announcement that he would be resigning from his office until the end of the year. Reason: “For some time now, participating in the daily political struggle has been an increasing mental burden for me.”

It has now become clearer what the 59-year-old might have meant by “stress”: Szájer had been arrested by the Belgian police on the previous Friday in Brussels while he was climbing down a rain channel with ecstasy in his backpack – from an apartment in which despite himself of the current lockdown, 20 to 25 half-naked men amused.

«I actually only invited ten friends, all of whom had already contracted Covid. But they in turn brought people with them, »says David Manzheley (29), who organized the sex party that was illegal because of the lockdown. “We drink and talk like in a pub, but we have sex,” says the man with the doctorate
in economics for Belgian «Standaard». He greeted the Hungarian MP only briefly, but did not know him.

As the Belgian public prosecutor announced, in addition to the Hungarian MEP, two diplomats were among the arrested participants in the orgy: one FROM, born 1977, and a BP, born 1986. In the meantime, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that one of its diplomats has also attended the party.

On Tuesday, József Szájer spoke about the affair. He confirmed on his website that he had participated in a “private party”, but did not take any drugs. He doesn’t know how they got into his backpack. “I deeply regret that I violated the Covid restrictions, it was irresponsible of me.” He will pay the fine of 250 euros. Szájer apologized to his family and his constituents. Szájer is married to the constitutional judge Tünde Handó and has one daughter.

While the Fidesz party was rather tight-lipped that Szájer had “acted correctly” in resigning, a Fidesz politician spoke of throwing stones as to who was innocent.

In Hungary the news of József Szájer’s arrest hit like a bomb – at least among the opposition and the media not affiliated with Fidesz. Szájer, so the tenor, is more than a hypocritical keeper of conservative Christian values. All the more so since Szájer was heavily involved in the drafting of the constitution, in which the family model of the male father and the female mother is laid down. Quite a few call the passages in question “a real anti-LGBT document” that Szájer himself is said to have written.

“With him, Fidesz is losing one of its strong pillars,” writes the Hungarian Pestisracok. “It is understandable that many nationally-minded voters are disappointed and angry.” But all in all, the Szájer scandal in Hungary will have little impact, predicts a Belgian Hungary correspondent. “Cases like this are over in a few days. We already had a similar scandal with the Hungarian ambassador to Peru, who was involved in a child pornography case, and there was another scandal with a local mayor, they come and go », says Stefan Bos from vrt.de.

However, observers also agree that Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s reputation in Brussels is likely to suffer because of the scandal. Hungary is currently blocking the EU budget as well as the money from the Corona Recovery Fund. Stefan Bos: «He says he represents Christian values ​​in his country and in Europe. Now that his close ally Szájer is involved in this scandal, he will have great difficulty explaining how he defends these values. “

A smile at the end: The Irish airline Ryanair also reacted quickly to the scandal –

looking to make a quick escape from Brussels?

we have flights from just €14.99 (in this case we don't recommend the window seat) https://t.co/zzqT5Fgl2e

— Ryanair (@Ryanair) December 1, 2020

she, looking at Szájer’s inglorious departure: “Do you have to flee Brussels quickly? We offer tickets for 14.90 euros. »