CYPRUS ELECTIONS 2026 - what has changed?
The big story from the Cyprus parliamentary elections is that the traditional parties are losing strength, while newer and more “protest” parties gained a lot of support.
THE MAIN WINNERS
• ELAM almost doubled its support and became the 3rd biggest party
• Fidias Panayiotou and his “Direct Democracy” movement won seats for the first time
• ALMA, an anti-corruption reform party, also entered parliament
THE LOSERS
The older centrist parties supporting President Nikos Christodoulides lost badly:
• DIKO lost support
• EDEK failed to enter parliament
• DIPA also failed to enter parliament
The two traditional major parties:
• DISY still came first
• AKEL remained second
…but both are weaker than before.
WHY PEOPLE VOTED DIFFERENTLY:
High cost of living Electricity prices Frustration about corruption Distrust of traditional politicians Immigration concerns Younger voters turning to social media politics
Many voters wanted to “punish” the establishment parties.
WHAT THIS MEANS:
Parliament is now more fragmented and harder to govern President Christodoulides is politically weaker ELAM is now a serious political force Social media politics has officially arrived in Cyprus
IMPORTANT:
This was a PARLIAMENTARY election — not a presidential election.
The President stays the same The government does not automatically change
But the President now has a much more difficult parliament to work with
The 2028 presidential election could now be dramatically shaped by these results.
