On May 24, Cypriot citizens will elect a new parliament. The vote is considered one of the most significant in decades. Although the parliament has limited power in Cyprus’s presidential system, the election is likely to fundamentally reshape the country’s political landscape.
According to polls, the two traditional major parties are weakening: the conservative Democratic Rally (DISY) and the left-wing Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL). Traditional centrist forces are also losing support. At the same time, new political movements are emerging that could fill this gap. Sotiris Paroutis told Deutsche Welle of a “profound transformation of the political scene” in Cyprus.
For DISY, the election is a litmus test after losing the presidency and internal tensions following the election of independent candidate and former DISY member Nikos Christodoulides as president in 2023. AKEL, meanwhile, hopes to win a parliamentary election for the first time since 2006 and build on the political momentum of recent years. Even if the two major parties maintain their leading positions, polls suggest they will not be able to repeat the high vote shares of previous decades.
Source: www.dw.com
