News portal Origo said Sallai “knocked out” Hadházy, who then reported him to the police. When asked to comment by Origo, Sallai said in a text message that he had done no such thing.

News portal Index said several witnesses confirmed there had been a confrontation but it had “not come to blows”. Hadházy told Index that he had been speaking when Sallai rushed at him, intent on throwing a punch, but was held back by others. Still, Sallai managed to push over Hadházy and the chair he was sitting in.

The website of news weekly HVG said Hadházy had suffered a concussion, and the police and paramedics had been called to the scene. Hadházy told hvg.hu that Sallai had behaved “dishonourably” but would neither confirm nor deny any other reports.

In a brief statement sent to MTI, LMP said it condemned all forms of violence and reiterated its commitment to zero tolerance for them.

A party ethical probe was launched against Hadházy around the time of the general election because he had negotiated on cooperating and coordinating candidate withdrawals with the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance, going against the decisions of LMP leaders.

Last Monday, Hadházy told news portal 24.hu that former LMP co-leader András Schiffer as well as Sallai had threatened to sue for millions of forints LMP candidates who withdrew to give a better chance to other opposition candidates. Schiffer responded by saying that he had never threatened anybody with a lawsuit.

MTI Photo: Szigetváry Zsolt