Voters in Cyprus will head to the polls on May 24 in what is shaping up to be one of the most important parliamentary elections in decades.
Although the Parliament has limited powers within the presidential system of the Republic of Cyprus, the outcome of the election is expected to significantly reshape the country’s political landscape.
Citing recent opinion polls, journalist and political analyst Sotiris Paroutis says that Cyprus is moving towards “a profound change in its political landscape”, characterized not only by the weakening of the country’s two major parties, but also by the decline of traditional centrist forces and the emergence of new political movements to fill that space.
Traditional rivals compete for first place
Polls show that the race for first place will once again be decided between Cyprus’ two traditional political giants: the conservative Democratic Rally (DISY) and the leftist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL).
For DISY, the election will be a major test of political resilience following the presidential defeat and internal tensions following the election of independent candidate and former DISY member Nicos Christodoulides as president in 2023.
Meanwhile, AKEL hopes to take advantage of the political momentum built in recent years to win general elections for the first time since 2006.
What does this mean for Cyprus politics?
But even if both major parties remain dominant, opinion polls indicate they are unlikely to repeat the high vote shares achieved in recent decades.
Both parties are expected to get around 20% votes.
Corruption scandals, growing public frustration and declining trust in the political establishment continue to undermine Cyprus’s long-standing biparty model.
In Cyprus, the President, who is directly elected by the people, is both head of state and head of government and appoints cabinet ministers. This means that while the parliamentary election has no direct impact on the formation of the government, it will have an impact on the coalitions that parties will have to form in the hope of getting their candidate elected in the next presidential election, scheduled for 2028.
The far right is emerging as a third force
According to opinion polls, the far-right National Popular Front (ELAM) is expected to emerge as the third largest political force in the country by securing around 10% of the votes.
The party first entered parliament in 2016 at a time when it was widely seen as politically aligned with Greece’s now-defunct neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.
A decade later – and after the Greek courts indicted Golden Dawn’s leadership – ELAM has not only tripled its electoral strength, but also established itself as a normalized political player in parliament.
Analysts attribute this transformation to a deliberate political rebranding strategy and the recruitment of personalities from across the political spectrum.
Under the slogan of “Cyprus First” and with radical anti-immigration rhetoric and conservative positions on LGBTQ+ rights, ELAM now appears capable of exerting considerable influence on future political developments, particularly parliamentary coalitions and the election of the Parliamentary Speaker, which is actually the second highest political office in the country.
The rise of post-ideological politics
One of the defining features of this election campaign has been the gradual decline of traditional centrist parties, including the Cyprus Green Party, the EDEK Socialist Party and the Democratic Alignment Party.
According to opinion polls, these centrist parties are losing support for new political structures and are unlikely to enter parliament.
New political parties are presenting themselves as an alternative to the traditional party system.
direct democracy movement
Perhaps the clearest example of this shift is the Direct Democracy Movement led by Phidias Panayiotou.
The young YouTuber made headlines in 2024 when he leveraged his massive popularity on social media to win a seat in the European Parliament.
The movement promotes a model of participatory politics focused on direct citizen participation in technology and decision making.
At the same time, it attempts to transcend the traditional left–right divide by attracting supporters from different ideological backgrounds, especially young and anti-establishment voters.
When it comes to predicting how the Direct Democracy Party will fare, opinion polls vary considerably, with estimates ranging from 4% to 12%.
anti corruption campaigner
Another newcomer trying to capitalize on public anger toward the political establishment is the centrist ALMA party, founded by former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides.
Michaelides entered politics after being removed from office due to “inappropriate behavior” by officials.
However, in recent years he has developed a reputation as an uncompromising anti-corruption campaigner. Polls suggest that ALMA could garner around 8% of the vote by tapping into widespread public frustration over corruption, lack of accountability and declining trust in state institutions.
Towards an ‘apolitical’ Parliament?
“Political parties have lost their credibility, and that is why we are now seeing movements emerging and claiming seats in parliament,” said Dr. Naia Kamenou, an assistant professor in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cyprus.
“Ideological purity as a defining characteristic is slowly disappearing,” he told DW.
Growing support for parties and movements with unclear ideological identities has caused concern among Cyprus’ traditional political establishment.
In a recent statement, parliamentary president Anita Demetriou (DISY) reacted to the rise of new political movements, saying that she “shudders to think who we might have in the next parliament.”
Edited by: Angiel Flanagan