Wikipedia

2026 Cypriot legislative election

The next Cypriot legislative elections are expected to be held in May 2026,[1] to elect 56 of the 80 members of the House of Representatives. The elections could be held earlier if parliament is dissolved before it reaches the end of its five-year term.

2026 Cypriot legislative election
← 2021 May 2026 2031 →
56 of 80 seats in the House of Representatives
29 seats needed for a majority
 
Annita Demetriou visits Ireland, June 2023 01 (cropped).jpg
Συνάντηση Υπουργού Εξωτερικών, Νίκου Δένδια, με τον Γενικό Γραμματέα του ΑΚΕΛ, Σ. Στεφάνου (Αθήνα, 15.09.2021) (cropped alt).jpg
Nikolas papadopoulos 2020.jpg
Leader Annita Demetriou Stefanos Stefanou Nikolas Papadopoulos
Party DISY AKEL DIKO
Leader since 2023 2021 2013
Last election 17 seats, 27.8% 15 seats, 22.3% 9 seats, 11.3%
 
Christos Christou (2023-01-13).jpg
Επίσκεψη ΥΠΕΞ Ν. Κοτζιά στην Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Λευκωσία, 26-28.10.2015) (21897204854) (cropped).jpg
Marios Garoyian (cropped).jpg
Leader Christos Christou Marinos Sizopoulos Marios Garoyian
Party ELAM EDEK DIPA
Leader since 2008 2015 2016
Last election 4 seats, 6.8% 4 seats, 6.7% 4 seats, 6.1%
 
George Perdikes (cropped).jpg
Alexandra Attalides 2021 (cropped).jpg
Leader George Perdikes Alexandra Attalides
Party KOSP Volt Cyprus
Leader since 2023 2023
Last election 3 seat, 4.4% New
Incumbent President of the House of Representatives

Annita Demetriou
DISY



Electoral system

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The 80 members of the House of Representatives are elected from six multi-member constituencies which corresponds to the six districts of Cyprus, with the number of seats allocated according to the population of each area.[2][3] Of the 80, 56 are elected by Greek Cypriots and 24 by Turkish Cypriots.[4] However, since 1963 the Turkish Cypriot seats have been unfilled,[5] and the House of Representatives has de facto had 56 seats since its enlargement in the 1980s.[6]

The elections are held using open list proportional representation; voters vote for a party and can then cast one preferential vote for a candidate on their party's list for every four seats available in their constituency (party leaders or other candidates heading coalitions are not required to receive preferential votes to be elected). Seats are allocated using the Hare quota, with any remaining seats allocated to lists that won at least one seat or parties that received at least 3.6% of the vote.[2] The seat allocations for the 2021 election were as follows:

Districts Seats
Nicosia 20
Limassol 12
Famagusta 11
Larnaca 6
Paphos 4
Kyrenia 3
Total 56

Parties

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Party Ideology Leader
Democratic Rally (DISY) Liberal conservatism TBD
Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) Communism, Marxism-Leninism, Cypriotism TBD
Democratic Party (DIKO) Greek Cypriot nationalism, Centrism TBD
National Popular Front (ELAM) Neo-fascism, Ultranationalism TBD
Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK) Greek Cypriot nationalism, Social democracy TBD
Democratic Front (DIPA) Centrism TBD
Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation (KOSP) Green politics, Social democracy TBD
Volt Cyprus Pro-Europeanism, European federalism, United Cyprus, Progressivism TBD

Background

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Democratic Rally (DISY)

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The centre-right Democratic Rally (DISY) is currently the largest political party in Cyprus, holding 17 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives.[7] Following its defeat in the 2023 presidential election[8] and internal divisions resulting from Nikos Christodoulides' independent candidacy,[9] the party’s stance as the official opposition has been perceived as ambiguous. Several of Christodoulides' ministers are active DISY members,[10] and on occasions, such as the 2024 National Budget, DISY made fewer amendments to the President's proposal compared to the governing parties.[11] This perceived lack of opposition has contributed to public dissatisfaction with DISY’s role in countering the Christodoulides administration, which has faced increasing unpopularity.[12][13]

During the candidate selection process for the 2024 European Parliament Election, DISY’s internal elections resulted in one of the then-vice presidents, Marios Pelekanos, finishing second to last, excluding him from the six-candidate ballot.[14] Dissatisfied with the outcome, Pelekanos resigned from his leadership position, citing a series of incidents that, according to him, undermined his standing within the party.[15][16] On March 22, 2024, it was announced, following multi-day discussions with the National Popular Front (ELAM), that Pelekanos would be running in the European elections under ELAM's banner. This decision was condemned by DISY leader Annita Demetriou, who emphasised the ideological differences between the two parties. DISY subsequently removed Pelekanos from its membership registry.[17][18] Pelekanos, who had also served as the government spokesperson during the DISY-backed Anastasiades' administration (2021–2023), ultimately became ELAM's Press Representative.[19] Despite DISY securing a first-place finish in the European elections, their 24.8% share of the vote marked the worst performance in the party’s history.[20]

DISY continued to face internal challenges after the European elections, particularly between former party leader Averof Neofytou and former President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades. In a podcast on July 8, 2024, Anastasiades criticised Neofytou’s 2023 presidential campaign, suggesting that it had failed to resonate with DISY supporters, contributing to the party's defeat. He also questioned Neofytou’s alignment with AKEL-backed candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis during the second round of the election.[21][22][23] Anastasiades' remark that he did not want to "bother with bitter people," directed at Neofytou, prompted a response from Neofytou on social media, stating that the "bitter" ones were the thousands who had once trusted Anastasiades, along with broader criticisms of Anastasiades' handling of the Cyprus problem.[24][25]

Neofytou also clashed with DISY leader Annita Demetriou over the party’s support for the Great Sea Interconnector,[26] a planned HVDC interconnector between the Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids.[27][28] The project, primarily developed during Anastasiades’ presidency, has strong backing from DISY. However, Neofytou expressed strong disagreement about advancing energy projects before resolving the Cyprus problem and questioned whether the interconnection will actually reduce energy bills in Cyprus. This stance put him at odds with Demetriou, who strongly supports the project.[29][30][31] In September 2024, when asked about Neofytou's potential candidacy for the 2028 presidential election—following his own expressed interest—Annita Demetriou responded that Neofytou had already been tested in 2023, and in light of the public's verdict, DISY should now move forward for the benefit of the country.[32][33]

Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)

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The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), the second-largest party in Cyprus with 15 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives,[7] experienced its worst-ever performance in the 2024 European Parliament Election, garnering only 21.5% of the vote and losing one of its two seats for the first time in its history.[34][35][36] Despite AKEL’s strong showing in the 2023 presidential election, with candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis surpassing polling expectations,[37][8] internal tensions have emerged since then.[38]

Irene Charalambidou, a prominent AKEL Member of Parliament, has increasingly distanced herself from the party’s positions, frequently voting independently in the House of Representatives.[39] The rift between Charalambidou and AKEL deepened during the controversy over the dismissal of Odysseas Michaelides, the former Auditor General of Cyprus. Charalambidou is a longstanding supporter of Michaelides due to his efforts against perceived corruption during the Anastasiades administration. The MP is ineligible to run for AKEL in the 2026 legislative elections due to term limits, and there are widespread rumours that she may join a new parliamentary movement led by Michaelides, who has garnered popularity for his anti-corruption stance.[39][40][41]

Opinion polls

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Date Polling firm DISY AKEL DIKO ELAM EDEK DIPA KOSP EP ZgtZ VOLT Others Lead
9 June 2024 2024 European Parliament election 24.8 21.5 9.7 11.2 5.1 2.2 1.3 1.3 – 2.9 3.3
12–16 Feb 2024 SIGMA 29.0 27.5 11.6 14.5 4.3 4.3 2.9 – 1.4 1.4 2.9 1.5
3–11 Jan 2024 IMR 25.7 27.8 9.7 17.4 3.2 3.3 4.9 0.7 – 1.8 2.8 2.1
18–22 Sep 2023 IMR 26.1 28.0 10.1 17.4 2.9 1.4 5.8 1.4 – 1.4 4.4 1.9
30 May Election 2021 27.8% 22.3% 11.3% 6.8% 6.7% 6.1% 4.4% 3.3% 1.0% - 10.3% 5.5

References

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  1. ^ "Parliamentary elections". Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  2. ^ a b "IPU PARLINE database: CYPRUS (Vouli Antiprosopon), Electoral system". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  3. ^ "Comparative table on constituency delineation and seat allocation". Venice Commission. 22 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Last election". Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  5. ^ "Republic of Cyprus: Election for Vouli Antiprosopon". IFES Election Guide.
  6. ^ "Historical review". House of Representatives.
  7. ^ a b "Elections: Cyprus Parliament 2021". IFES Election Guide. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  8. ^ a b "Presidential Elections 2023 Official Results".
  9. ^ root (2023-02-12). "Κυπριακές εκλογές: Η ακτινογραφία της ψήφου στον δεύτερο γύρο". Οικονομικός Ταχυδρόμος - ot.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  10. ^ "O ΔΗΣΥ αναζητεί τον ρόλο του ως αντιπολίτευση". ΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  11. ^ "ΔΗΣΥ - 'υπεύθυνη αντιπολίτευση': Έκανε πιο λίγες τροπολογίες απ' ότι η συγκυβέρνηση… | Offsite". www.offsite.com.cy. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  12. ^ "Δημοσκόπηση REPORTER: Comme ci comme ça συμπολίτευση και αντιπολίτευση στα μάτια των πολιτών". Δημοσκόπηση REPORTER: Comme ci comme ça συμπολίτευση και αντιπολίτευση στα μάτια των πολιτών. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  13. ^ "ΔΗΜΟΣΚΟΠΗΣΗ «Φ»: Στο κόκκινο η αξιολόγηση του Προέδρου Χριστοδουλίδη – Κατρακυλάει η δημοτικότητά του (πίνακες)". 3 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Με ανατροπή τα αποτελέσματα για το ψηφοδέλτιο του ΔΗΣΥ στις Ευρωεκλογές-Ποιοι έκοψαν το νήμα". Με ανατροπή τα αποτελέσματα για το ψηφοδέλτιο του ΔΗΣΥ στις Ευρωεκλογές-Ποιοι έκοψαν το νήμα. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  15. ^ Δημητριάδη, Ραφαέλα (2024-02-12). "Παραιτήθηκε από Αντιπρόεδρος του ΔΗΣΥ ο Μάριος Πελεκάνος – «Η αξιοπρέπειά μου δεν μου επιτρέπει να συνεχίσω»". Φιλελεύθερος | Philenews (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  16. ^ Solutions, BDigital Web. "Παραιτήθηκε από Αντιπρόεδρος του ΔΗΣΥ ο Μάριος Πελεκάνος". Kathimerini.com.cy (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  17. ^ Solutions, BDigital Web. "Στο ΕΛΑΜ ο Πελεκάνος - Η διαγραφή από τον ΔΗΣΥ και η αιχμηρή απάντηση Αννίτας". Kathimerini.com.cy (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  18. ^ "Το παρασκήνιο της υποψηφιότητας Πελεκάνου με το ΕΛΑΜ | AlphaNews.Live". www.alphanews.live (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  19. ^ "Καθήκοντα Εκπροσώπου Τύπου του ΕΛΑΜ αναλαμβάνει ο Πελεκάνος | AlphaNews.Live". www.alphanews.live (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  20. ^ "Μια πύρρειος νίκη για τον ΔΗΣΥ και οι αμείλικτοι αριθμοί που δείχνουν ήττα-Η διπλή ανάγνωση του αποτελέσματος". Μια πύρρειος νίκη για τον ΔΗΣΥ και οι αμείλικτοι αριθμοί που δείχνουν ήττα-Η διπλή ανάγνωση του αποτελέσματος. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
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  22. ^ "Αναστασιάδης VS Αβέρωφ: Το podcast που άναψε φωτιές και η αναφορά σε «πικραμένο» | AlphaNews.Live". www.alphanews.live (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  23. ^ "Αναστασιάδης για Αβέρωφ: «Δεν θέλω να ασχολούμαι με πικραμένους»" (in Greek). 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
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  25. ^ "Σκληρή απάντηση Αβέρωφ σε Αναστασιάδη: «Πικραμένοι είναι οι χιλιάδες που σ' εμπιστεύτηκαν κάποτε…»". 9 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Σύγκρουση Αννίτας – Αβέρωφ για τον Great Sea Interconnector | Offsite". www.offsite.com.cy. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  27. ^ Kambas, Michele (2012-01-23). "Cyprus group plans Greece-Israel electricity link". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved 2012-03-09. A Cyprus-based group including Greece's state-controlled power utility PPC said on Monday it planned to lay the world's longest subsea power cable linking Europe and Asia.
  28. ^ "EuroAsia Interconnector Project and Progress" (PDF). euroasia-interconnector.com.
  29. ^ "Σύγκρουση Αννίτας – Αβέρωφ για τον Great Sea Interconnector | Offsite". www.offsite.com.cy. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  30. ^ "Συνδέει ζητήματα ενέργειας με το Κυπριακό ο Αβέρωφ – Τοποθέτηση μετά τη συζήτηση στη Βουλή" (in Greek). 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
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  33. ^ Solutions, BDigital Web. "Αννίτα για Προεδρικές Εκλογές - «Δεν κοιμάμαι και ξυπνώ για το 2028»". Kathimerini.com.cy (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  34. ^ Κουρούσιη, Νικολέττα (2024-06-11). "Η διπλή αποτυχία του ΑΚΕΛ στις Ευρωεκλογές". Φιλελεύθερος | Philenews (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  35. ^ "Πρώτη φορά Αριστερά με μία έδρα-Δεν βγήκαν στο ΑΚΕΛ οι επιλογές των Ευρωεκλογών". Πρώτη φορά Αριστερά με μία έδρα-Δεν βγήκαν στο ΑΚΕΛ οι επιλογές των Ευρωεκλογών. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  36. ^ "Η «σούμα» των Ευρωεκλογών-Οι νικητές, οι ηττημένοι και το φαινόμενο που συντάραξε το σύστημα". Η «σούμα» των Ευρωεκλογών-Οι νικητές, οι ηττημένοι και το φαινόμενο που συντάραξε το σύστημα. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  37. ^ "Exit Poll ANT1: Χριστοδουλίδης-Μαυρογιάννης στον Β' Γύρο των Προεδρικών (ΠΙΝΑΚΑΣ)".
  38. ^ "Η Ειρήνη Χαραλαμπίδου ετοιμάζει Κίνημα με Οδυσσέα; | Offsite". www.offsite.com.cy. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  39. ^ a b "Ο Οδυσσέας ράβει κοστούμι για προεδρικές με πρόβα στις βουλευτικές εκλογές" (in Greek). 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  40. ^ "Άναψε φωτιές και φούντωσε πρόωρη προεδρολογία η παύση Οδυσσέα-Σεναριολογία με φόντο το 2028". Άναψε φωτιές και φούντωσε πρόωρη προεδρολογία η παύση Οδυσσέα-Σεναριολογία με φόντο το 2028. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  41. ^ "Έρευνα philenews: Στο ναδίρ η δημοφιλία Χριστοδουλίδη – Ισχυρή στήριξη σε Οδυσσέα για τις προεδρικές 2028 (πίνακες)".
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