Steven N.
In a two-part series of articles, Telex took a deep dive into the background of the candidates in György Gattyán’s new Solution Movement (MeMo) party. Gattyán, frequently called the “porn billionaire” in the media for founding the LiveJasmin adult camming website, is considered one of Hungary’s richest persons and a recent entrant into the political world.
Until a few days ago, only a handful of Solution Movement’s candidates had been announced, which included former footballer Lajos Détári, former pop singer István Janicsák, and reality TV show star Tamás “Tommyboy” Könyves.
But the complete list of all 106 candidates for Parliament reveals a diverse group of people connected to sports, as well as MLM gurus, TikTokers, real estate agents, and beauty pageant participants. One of these colorful characters is the former head of the Hungarian Floorball Association, Gábor “Füfke” Füzi, seen here rapping “French Meringue”:
Another interesting candidate on the party’s roster is Dr. Nándor Antóniusz Kudron-Tonigold, who could charitably be called a “political tourist” for the lack of a better term. Dr. Kudron-Tonigold began his career in now-defunct SZDSZ, then flirted with MDF, was a Momentum candidate in 2019, and ran in last year’s primary election under the Jobbik banner. This year, he has decided to throw his lot in with Gattyán’s Solution Movement for a run for office.
Unsurprisingly, quite a few candidates have connections to the Gattyán business empire. Several of them appear to have entered public life from Gattyán’s Docler Holding and teqball, a sport co-founded by Gattyán and Solution Movement Vice-President Viktor Huszár. Even Ákos Berta, Vice-Rector of János Kodolányi University, Gattyán’s alma mater that he bought in 2020, has discovered a desire to be a Member of Parliament.
Others are veteran candidates from fake parties in past elections, such as Éva Szegedi, who was a candidate for parties that only existed on paper in the 2014 and 2018 elections, and which are now being prosecuted for suspected fraud. Szegedi has also been photographed with prominent Fidesz party members, such as State Secretary Csaba Dömötör and MP József Kovács.
Sympathy towards Fidesz is no stranger to Valentin Váradi (pictured), who works at Docler as an IT professional, and who, before heeding the call to become an opposition politician to take down the current government, took photos of himself in a baseball cap with “OV’22” (Orbán Viktor ’22) stitched on it. [HVG, Telex]
