Opposition and governing coalition politicians are demanding answers from Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides after a video circulated on the social media platform X, raising questions about campaign finance management during the 2023 elections and investor access to the Presidential Palace.
Political leaders and MPs posted statements via their personal accounts shortly after the video began circulating online, according to local reports.
The opposition pressure signals a heated political environment in the coming days, with the government facing calls for detailed explanations.
DISY president Annita Demetriou said she hoped the video, which involves individuals and the government in alleged illegal practices, did not reflect reality, adding she expected authorities to take action.
AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou said the video raised serious institutional and political issues that the government must answer clearly.
After a statement from the government spokesman describing the video as malicious editing aimed at damaging Cyprus’s image, Stefanos Stefanou posted again, saying the government’s response did not dispute the video’s authenticity and failed to answer serious questions.
According to Stefanos Stefanou, the government did not address claims about cash campaign contributions to Christodoulides designed to avoid exceeding a one-million-euro limit or about business contributions in exchange for government services. He referenced the non-transparent operation of a fund managed by the president’s spouse.
DIKO president Nikolas Papadopoulos said citizens deserved and expected explanations about the video’s content within a transparency framework.
DEPA president Marios Garoyan said transparency and accountability were non-negotiable in a state of law, calling on authorities to shed light on the facts of the matter.
He said no one was above the law and that issues touching institutions and individuals required calm, responsibility and trust in institutional processes, not hasty conclusions or public condemnations without full knowledge of the facts.
AKEL MP Irene Charalambidou called the video shocking and asked whether it was authentic, calling on government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis to provide explanations.
AKEL MP Christos Christofidis said the president had an obligation to answer point by point what was mentioned in the video. He said if half the video’s content proved true, it would represent the biggest political earthquake in the country’s history.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianos said the video raised huge ethical, political, institutional and legal issues around entanglement and corruption, adding the government must respond immediately.
DIKO MP Chrysis Pantelides said he awaited convincing answers both as a citizen and as a governing coalition MP.
DISY MP Nikos Georgiou referenced his legislative proposal for transparency in the Independent Social Support Body managed by the president’s spouse, Philippa Karsera.
The proposal was voted through parliament but returned by the president and fell in the Supreme Court for technical reasons, according to Georgiou.
The EDEK party requested a full investigation whilst expressing reservations about the video’s authenticity and motives behind its publication, seeking explanations using legal and scientific means.
DISY MP Demetris Demetriou said the video concerned the president personally rather than the state or government, adding the president should stop hiding and show leadership.
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