Deputy leader of Jobbik is willing to step up and take Vona’s place

László Toroczkai, the deputy leader of Jobbik, who is also the hardline mayor of Ásotthalom, in southern Hungary, said on Thursday that he was open to becoming party leader if asked, local news portal delmagyar.hu reported.

Toroczkai was the founder of the far-right 64 Counties Youth Movement (HVIM) and has been banned from Serbia and Slovakia due to his views and activities. Last year he endorsed policies to ban pro-LGBT rights messages and Islamic religious practices in Ásotthalom.

On Monday Toroczkai posted a message on Facebook criticising his party for Sunday’s election outcome and the outgoing party leader. “Gábor Vona has failed but Jobbik lives on,” he said.

“But if Gábor Vona’s resignation is only a front … then he will execute Jobbik,” Toroczkai added in the post.

After attending a party board meeting of the party on Tuesday, he was asked by delmagyar.hu if he would accept the post of party leader. He said that if at least 20 percent of the member organisations nominated him, then he would “not run away from the task”.

He said a congress for the re-election of party officials is planned for the near future and he expected that all matters would be decided within a month.

Vona, who tried to take Jobbik in a more moderate direction, has ruled out running for the post of party leader at the congress.

featured image: MTI

Source: MTI