Voters in Cyprus went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament, with more than half a million people eligible to vote.
The vote was seen as an important test of public sentiment ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Preliminary results released by the Interior Ministry showed that far-right ELAM, an offshoot of Greece’s banned Golden Dawn party, won about 11% of the vote, up from 6.8% in the previous legislative elections in 2021. If this situation continues, ELAM will be the third largest party in the legislature.
The result is unlikely to immediately change power dynamics, as executive authority remains with directly elected President Nicos Christodoulides.
But still, the three centrist parties supporting President Christodoulides, namely DIKO, DIPA and EDEK, suffered losses.
What is at stake in the Cyprus elections?
Polling stations opened on Sunday as voters elected 56 MPs, with seventeen parties competing for the support of some 569,000 eligible voters.
Opinion polls suggest the vote could reshape the political landscape as public frustration over corruption scandals and the rising cost of living continues.
Three centrist parties – DIKO, DIPA and EDEK – currently support Christodoulides, but polls show weak support for at least two of them.
Traditional forces like conservative DISY and communist AKEL are also losing ground to new challengers.
New and smaller parties are expected to make gains, including the far-right ELAM, the centrist reform movement ALMA and the pan-European political party Volt.
Christodoulides, who leads the government, relies on parliamentary support to pass laws, and a weak result for his allies could complicate governance.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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