Disquiet and concern were palpable among Democratic Rally (DISY) MPs in the corridors of parliament, reflecting a broader numbness and unease within the party camp. At the same time, the climate at the Pindarou headquarters has turned explosive. On one hand, Averof Neofytou has issued a warning shot regarding a potential presidential candidacy, without clarifying whether it would take place within official party procedures—a scenario that had begun circulating gradually in recent times.
On the other hand, murmurs are widespread among part of the leadership regarding the handling of the presidential election issue by Annita Demetriou and her close circle of associates.
Concerns over the trajectory of developments and the management of the situation are widespread. Unity, which has been and remains the primary objective, is currently missing within the blue party. The optimism and celebratory atmosphere that prevailed following the parliamentary elections have subsided, with the atmosphere around Pindarou beginning to smell like gunpowder for many.
The former DISY president clearly wants to run in the presidential elections. The question hanging in the air is how he will express that interest. This question has been widely discussed following his statements on OMEGA and ALPHA last week, where he announced a potential candidacy should there be no developments on the Cyprus problem, without specifying whether he will claim the ticket through DISY’s internal procedures or run as an independent candidate calling for support. Essentially, these are the two options.
Whether he is ready to move outside party procedures and potentially stand against Annita Demetriou’s candidacy—following a strategy similar to the one Nikos Christodoulides pursued in 2023, whom Averof Neofytou previously labeled a defector—remains to be seen. The answer will become clear in the coming period if and when the former DISY president decides to reveal his cards. Many, some out of assessment and others out of hope, express the view that Averof Neofytou is ultimately bluffing to exert pressure on the party leadership.
What remains certain is that he appears determined regarding his candidacy while being quite annoyed with how part of Pindarou is handling the presidential issue, believing it is clearly promoting Annita Demetriou’s candidacy using tactics aimed at eliminating his own. First, through polls highlighting the DISY president’s popularity and electability—a tactic viewed by Neofytou’s environment as corresponding to the one Christodoulides used in 2023 to undermine his own prospects. At the same time, critics point out that these measurements omit qualitative criteria and the leadership traits a potential President of the Republic should possess, areas where Averof Neofytou is considered to hold an advantage.
Second, the annoyance stems from how Demetriou and her associates allegedly tried to present her interest in the nomination as the result of pressure from the party leadership and as an option for unity. Last Monday’s leadership meeting was announced in the wake of the public confrontation between Efthymios Diplaros and Karouros to defuse the situation and discuss the presidential election timeline.
During the meeting, participants analyzed the political landscape and party strategy, dividing the path into two phases: the period before the party selects a candidate and the period after. The majority supported closing the process by the end of the year, while a second group favored spring 2027. Part of the leadership expressed the view that Annita Demetriou should clarify whether she is interested in claiming the ticket, to which the president was positive. However, reactions followed regarding how the details of these pressures were leaked immediately after the meeting.
Neofytou stood by the party leadership in the final stages of the parliamentary elections, supporting Demetriou’s return to the House Presidency. Yet, data has shifted, and the central question now is whether DISY can march toward the presidential elections united, and who will bear the responsibility for a potential new defeat that would trigger a domino of internal developments.
