Governance

Cyprus Conducts Parliamentary Elections

Is Cyprus embracing bold political disruption or dangerously empowering extremism?

Published MAY 25

Story

Above: Fidias Panayiotou, a prominent Cypriot member of the European Parliament, on Nov. 11, 2025. Image credit: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images

The Facts

Cyprus held parliamentary elections on Sunday, with six parties securing seats in the 56-member House of Representatives. Voter turnout stood at 66.91%, with 380,851 ballots cast out of 569,182 registered voters.
The National Herald
Agenzia Nova
The Democratic Rally (DISY) finished first with 27.2% of the vote and 17 seats, while the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) placed second with 23.9% and 15 seats, each broadly holding their 2021 results.
XINHUA
GreekReporter.com
The National Popular Front (ELAM) was the election's biggest gainer, doubling its parliamentary representation from four to eight seats after increasing its vote share from 6.8% in 2021 to 10.9%, making it the third-largest party.
Dw.Com
ThePrint
Three centrist parties aligned with President Nikos Christodoulides suffered losses. DIKO retained eight seats with 10% of the vote, while EDEK and the Democratic Alignment (DIPA) each fell below the 3.6% parliamentary threshold, losing all representation.
Business Recorder
Politico
Two newly formed parties entered parliament for the first time: ALMA, led by former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides, won 5.8% and four seats, while Direct Democracy Cyprus, founded by social media personality Fidias Panayiotou, secured 5.4% and four seats.
Politico
GreekReporter.com
Panayiotou announced he would retain his European Parliament seat rather than take his House of Representatives seat, ceding it to runner-up Yiannis Laouris.
Cyprus Mail
The Hill

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Cyprus voters sent a clear message that the old centrist order is finished — ELAM doubled its seats, anti-corruption newcomers broke through, and a social media influencer won parliamentary representation. The centrist parties propping up President Christodoulides got wiped out, with two failing to even clear the threshold. This election proves Cypriots are done with business as usual and ready to blow up the political establishment.

GreekReporter.com

eKathimerini.com on X

Narrative B

DISY held firm at 27.2%, and AKEL kept all its seats, proving the traditional parties still anchor Cypriot democracy despite the noise around fringe gains. ELAM's rise to third place is alarming, given its roots in Greece's banned Golden Dawn movement, and handing that party more influence is a dangerous direction for the republic. The reality is that extremism is filling the vacuum left by a weakened presidency.