József Szájer

József Szájer (2016)

József Szájer (born September 7, 1961 in Sopron ) is a Hungarian politician. From 2004 to 2020 he was a member of the European Parliament for the right-wing conservative party Fidesz , which belongs to the Group of the European People's Party .

Education and life

József Szájer studied at the Faculty of Political Science and Law of the Loránd Eötvös University in Budapest until 1986 and then worked as a teacher at this university. József Szájer is married. His wife is Tünde Handó, President of the Hungarian National Court Office. The couple has a daughter.

Political career

József Szájer (2014)

In 1988 he was one of the founding members of the Fidesz party, of which he is still a member. From 1990 to 1994 and from 2002 to 2004 he was deputy parliamentary group leader, from 1994 to 2002 parliamentary group chairman of his party in the Hungarian parliament and from 1996 to 2003 vice-president of the party. In 2004 he was elected to the European Parliament for Fidesz , where he has since held the position of Vice-Chairman of the Group of the European People's Party . In the European Parliament, he has participated in the committees on legal issues (from 2004), the internal market and consumer protection (2004 to 2007) and constitutional issues (from 2007), and in the European Parliament's delegations for relations with the USA (from 2009) and Mercosur - States (from 2004).

In 2011, as chairman of the constitutional committee, Szájer played a key role in drafting the new Hungarian constitution . At the same time, he was chairman of the national consultative committee, which used questionnaires to question the Hungarian population on individual aspects of the new constitution.

Szájer had a decisive influence on the politics of the Fidesz party for years. Among other things, he wrote the passage of the Hungarian constitution on marriage as a connection exclusively between man and woman.

Withdrawal from politics

On November 29, 2020, Szájer announced his resignation as a member of the European Parliament with effect from December 31, 2020 and stated that he was no longer able to cope with the psychological stress, but that he would continue to support the Hungarian government. Literally, he said: "For some time now, participating in the daily political struggle has been an increasing mental burden on me, and those on the battlefield must be in a state of struggle."

Several Belgian media and Hungarian investigative journalists then made public that Szájer had participated in a private homosexual, sex and drug party during the strict anti-corona measures in Brussels, which had been broken up by the police. Residents had previously complained about noise and called the police for alleged violations of the ban on gatherings. When she entered the premises, Szájer was stopped while attempting to escape and was escorted to his apartment, where he identified himself with a diplomatic ID. According to police, drugs were found in his backpack. Police said two other participants in the party had claimed diplomatic immunity.

Szájer then admitted his presence on site and apologized to his family, colleagues and voters. At the same time, he emphasized that he had neither used nor owned drugs. An ecstasy tablet found does not belong to him and he does not know who placed it. On December 2, 2020, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Szájer's behavior was “incompatible with the values of our political community”. Szájer had therefore declared his departure from the party.