Czech cabinet party under fire for politician’s nude photo-sharing

The Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) party is facing controversy after local media revealed that one of its politicians and city representatives, Mariam Szyja, has been selling erotic-themed nude photos of herself on the internet for a monthly subscription fee.

Szyja, who also goes by the online pseudonym MaSKaPhotoModel, is running for the Spolu (Together) group in regional elections this year. Spolu is currently in office on a national governmental level as a majority coalition.

According to an investigation by Czech media outlet Seznam Zprávy, Szyja's profile – in the 18+ section – describes her as a "plus size, attractive, and curly woman," and offers free photos every Tuesday. However, for a monthly fee ranging from CZK 30 to CZK 440, users can access her photo albums, which include categories such as portrait, glamour, and private.

She posts the photos on online subscription service Patreon, Seznam Zprávy reports.

The pictures, which show the 43-year-old regional politician – representing the Moravian-Silesian city of Karviná since 2022 – in settings such as nature, a studio, a hotel, sitting on a motorcycle, and posing in a kitchen. Szyja posted the first album in mid-January, with the most recent one added just last week.

The revelation has divided KDU-ČSL, a party that – notably – prides itself on Christian and generally conservative values. Lukáš Curyl, a regional deputy governor who is a party member, claimed to have no knowledge of Szyja's online activities. 

When asked about the compatibility of selling erotic photos with Christian democratic values, he stated: "It is definitely not in line with the conservative values of our party. It is shocking to me and we will deal with it internally.” 

KDU-ČSL spokesperson David Jirušek released a statement saying that the party was aware of Szyja's "artistic" photos. She had also informed KDU-ČSL that it was just her personal hobby. Notably, Jirušek also explicitly claimed that Patreon explicitly prohibits pornography. 

However, the Patreon website says that it fully supports "adult or 18+" content creators, and the photos are only available after payment of a monthly fee.

As regional elections draw near – taking place only next month – this scandal could potentially impact the party's reputation and voter support. Szyja's explicit photos have raised questions about the party's stance on morality and the boundaries of personal and political life.