Hide the Pain Harold tops informal public polls
After Péter Magyar, leader of the election-winning Tisza party, became Prime Minister of Hungary and forced Tamás Sulyok, an ally of Viktor Orbán, to resign, a series of unexpected names began appearing in the country’s political debate.
The first was legendary chess player Judit Polgár, whom Péter Magyar personally invited to become president. After she declined, Magyar adopted a more unconventional approach and asked citizens to help choose a suitable candidate.
No dedicated online platform was created for nominating and discussing potential contenders, so the debate shifted to messaging apps and social media. Among the most popular suggestions were Nobel Prize-winning chemist Katalin Karikó and Ernő Rubik, inventor of the famous Rubik’s Cube.
The surprise favourite, however, was retired electrical engineer András Arató, known around the world as Hide the Pain Harold.
The stock-photo smile that became a global meme
András Arató became an internet celebrity about 15 years ago after appearing in a series of stock photographs that were widely used in advertising. His distinctive expression drew particular attention: although he smiles broadly, his face appears to suggest that he is concealing deep inner pain.
“When life is falling apart, but you still have to pretend everything is fine,” was a typical caption added to the pictures by internet users. The image turned Hide the Pain Harold into one of the world’s most recognisable memes.
His unexpected popularity in the Hungary presidential race may reflect how some Hungarians now view the state of national politics. For many participants in the informal online discussion, Arató’s famous strained smile appears to capture the mood better than the country’s established political figures.
