EU lawmaker and YouTube influencer Fidias Panayiotou announced on Friday his candidacy for upcoming parliamentary election in Cyprus.

“I announce my candidacy as a parliamentary MP with the party Direct Democracy here in Cyprus,” he told local TV Sigma in a show where he appeared wearing a military helmet, arguing that the establishment is after him.

Asked what would happen if he wins a parliamentary seat while already holding his position in the European Parliament, Panayiotou said Direct Democracy members would make the decision collectively and he would follow his supporters’ wishes.

Based on Cypriot electoral law, he cannot keep both seats. Cyprus’ parliamentary election will take place in May.

“Fidias,” as Panayiotou styles himself, has gained some 2.6 million subscribers on his YouTube channel since he began posting in 2019. He shot to fame by embarking on a mission to hug Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the X platform (he eventually succeeded).  His election to the European Parliament in 2024 came as a shock, as he was elected to public office with no political experience but said he can’t abide the continued rule of “nerds” in Brussels.

The MEP is also preparing to create a new political group in the European Parliament, together with Slovak MEPs close to pro-Russia Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Fidias stirred controversy last May when he attended Russia’s “Victory Day” celebrations along with some other German and Slovak MEPs.

His party in Cyprus received provisional approval for the elections from the Cypriot Interior Ministry on Thursday, after taking the name “Direct Democracy of Cyprus.” The original title “Direct Democracy” could not be registered on its own as it describes a system of governance rather than a distinct political formation. The party ranks fifth with 6 percent support, according to the latest polls.

Fidias faces allegations of embezzling European Parliament funds regarding an apparent office space rented in Limassol with four bedrooms, a swimming pool and a garden. The case is under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

He insists that the property is not his house but an office space, where many officials would be visiting him. He added that he will call on his followers to vote on whether he should keep it.