The parliamentary elections are already a matter of past record, with public interest shifting rapidly toward the upcoming presidential election. Regardless of what political parties state in public, the behind-the-scenes contacts and the final process surrounding the election of the House Speaker marked the true, unofficial start of the battle for 2028. Even though the next presidential elections remain 20 months away, a frantic effort is underway by various actors to carve out paths leading toward the Presidential Palace.
Both Pindarou and Ezekia Papaioannou attempted this manoeuvre, with both securing varying degrees of benefit. DISY and its president secured the most significant advantages. Within a few weeks, the foundations of her leadership at DISY, which long appeared full of dangerous cracks, found support in fresh reinforcement.
First, her party maintained its position as the largest political force, securing a percentage that she would have hesitated to bet on before the elections. Beyond securing a highly significant 27.1%, DISY increased its absolute number of votes compared to 2021. DISY gathered 99,331 votes in 2021, climbing to 101,013 votes in the recent elections.
Second, Annita Demetriou won election as House Speaker for a second time. She took a significant risk by insisting exclusively on her own candidacy, but the gamble paid off. To achieve this, however, she abandoned the politics of seriousness she championed during the campaign, aligning herself with the style of TikTok creators, short videos, and clown noses, joining those who make a comedy out of politics.
Third, she secured the House Speaker position thanks to the support of DIKO, a party currently participating in the Christodoulides government. This represents a major benefit for Demetriou. Although DIKO’s decision was a momentary choice driven by political entrapment rather than a deep strategic plan, it allowed Demetriou to step directly into the camp of the current government forces.
Consequently, President Nikos Christodoulides, who always kept a close eye on Demetriou, now faces a permanent nightmare for the next 20 months. While the DISY president has not yet convinced serious political analysts that she possesses the credentials to govern the country, she continues to maintain high popularity ratings across various opinion polls.
Developments are not favouring Christodoulides at present. Demetriou has consolidated her position within DISY, making her leadership difficult to challenge before 2028. Concurrently, two parties participating in the government, EDEK and DEPA, failed to enter parliament and appear weakened.
At the same time, DIKO’s alignment with DISY leaves the current President in an uncomfortable position, particularly as several voices within DIKO express open dissatisfaction with the Presidential Palace. The prospect also exists for Nicolas Papadopoulos to secure the House Speaker position through a future cooperation with DISY, which would allow him to conclude his political career with a major state office.
Even if support for the President from ELAM is assumed to stand, it remains clearly insufficient. However, politics consistently proves that party percentages cannot be combined through simple addition to benefit a specific candidate.
Christodoulides is expected to deploy his own political tools between now and February 2028. He aims to introduce measures that convince voters across different party lines to support him, focusing on pension overhauls, social benefits, and other upcoming reforms. The Cyprus issue remains an unpredictable factor should any serious development occur.
Beyond the plans devised by the Demetriou and Christodoulides camps, a left-wing pole is emerging. AKEL emerged strengthened from the parliamentary elections, increasing its vote share by 1.4% and gaining an additional 8,857 votes. The party has established itself as the axis for forces opposed to Christodoulides or ideologically aligned with the left.
AKEL has already secured a cooperation agreement with Volt, whose 5.8% share represents a significant force, even if its diverse voter base means it may lack stable cohesion during the presidential elections. The primary question for AKEL remains its choice of candidate. Odysseas Michaelides is out of the running following the election results. However, by setting strong foundations to reach the second round of the elections, AKEL places significant pressure on the centre-right spectrum.
While political dynamics can shift overnight, Christodoulides faces a persistent challenge from Demetriou leading up to February 2028. Meanwhile, Demetriou contends with the pressures of intense ambition, a drive that has seen her feature in videos alongside clowns, eroding what remains of political seriousness.
