Next Cypriot legislative election

2026 Cypriot legislative election

←  2021 24 May 2026 2031 →
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56 of the 80 seats in the House of Representatives 29 seats needed for a majority
Leader Annita Demetriou Stefanos Stefanou Nikolas Papadopoulos Party DISY AKEL DIKO Last election 17 seats, 27.8% 15 seats, 22.3% 9 seats, 11.3% Current seats 17 15 9   Leader Christos Christou Nikos Anastasiou Marios Garoyian Party ELAM EDEK DIPA Last election 4 seats, 6.8% 4 seats, 6.7% 4 seats, 6.1% Current seats 3 3 4   Leader George Perdikes Alexandra Attalides Party KOSP Volt Cyprus Last election 3 seats, 4.4% New Current seats 2 1
Incumbent President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou DISY

The next Cypriot legislative elections are expected to be held in May 2026, ^[1] to elect 56 of the 80 members of the House of Representatives. The elections could be held earlier if parliament is dissolved before it reaches the end of its five-year term.

Electoral system

The 80 members of the House of Representatives are elected from six multi-member constituencies which corresponds to the six districts of Cyprus, with the number of seats allocated according to the population of each area. ^{[2] [3]} Of the 80, 56 are elected by Greek Cypriots and 24 by Turkish Cypriots. ^[4] However, since 1963 the Turkish Cypriot seats have been unfilled, ^[5] and the House of Representatives has de facto had 56 seats since its enlargement in the 1980s. ^[6]

The elections are held using open list proportional representation; voters vote for a party and can then cast one preferential vote for a candidate on their party's list for every four seats available in their constituency (party leaders or other candidates heading coalitions are not required to receive preferential votes to be elected). Seats are allocated using the Hare quota, with any remaining seats allocated to lists that won at least one seat or parties that received at least 3.6% of the vote. ^[2] The seat allocations for the 2021 election were as follows:

Districts	Seats
Nicosia	20
Limassol	12
Famagusta	11
Larnaca	6
Paphos	4
Kyrenia	3
Total	56

Parliamentary parties

Party		Ideology	Leader	Seats		Status
				Last election	Before election
	Democratic Rally (DISY)	Liberal conservatism	TBD	17 / 56	17 / 56	Opposition
	Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)	Communism, Marxism-Leninism, Cypriotism	TBD	15 / 56	15 / 56
	Democratic Party (DIKO)	Greek Cypriot nationalism, Centrism	TBD	9 / 56	9 / 56	Governing coalition
	National Popular Front (ELAM)	Neo-fascism, Ultranationalism	TBD	4 / 56	3 / 56	Opposition
	Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK)	Greek Cypriot nationalism, Social democracy	TBD	4 / 56	3 / 56	Governing coalition
	Democratic Front (DIPA)	Liberalism, Centrism	TBD	4 / 56	4 / 56
	Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation (KOSP)	Green politics, Social democracy	TBD	3 / 56	2 / 56	Opposition
	Volt Cyprus	Pro-Europeanism, European federalism, United Cyprus, Progressivism	TBD	0 / 56	1 / 56

Democratic Rally (DISY)

The centre-right Democratic Rally (DISY) is currently the largest political party in Cyprus, holding 17 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives. ^[7] Following its defeat in the 2023 presidential election ^[8] and internal divisions resulting from the independent candidacy of former DISY member Nikos Christodoulides, ^[9] the party’s stance as the official opposition has been perceived as ambiguous. Several of Christodoulides' ministers are active DISY members, ^[10] and on occasions, such as the 2024 National Budget, DISY made fewer amendments to the President's proposal compared to the governing parties. ^[11] This perceived lack of opposition has contributed to public dissatisfaction with DISY’s role in countering the Christodoulides administration, which has faced increasing unpopularity. ^{[12] [13]}

During the candidate selection process for the 2024 European Parliament Election, DISY’s internal elections resulted in one of the then-vice presidents, Marios Pelekanos, finishing second to last, excluding him from the six-candidate ballot. ^[14] Dissatisfied with the outcome, Pelekanos resigned from his leadership position, citing a series of incidents that, according to him, undermined his standing within the party. ^{[15] [16]} On March 22, 2024, it was announced, following multi-day discussions with the National Popular Front (ELAM), that Pelekanos would be running in the European elections under ELAM's banner. This decision was condemned by DISY leader Annita Demetriou, who emphasised the ideological differences between the two parties. DISY subsequently removed Pelekanos from its membership registry. ^{[17] [18]} Pelekanos, who had also served as the government spokesperson during the DISY-backed Anastasiades' administration (2021–2023), ultimately became ELAM's Press Representative. ^[19] Despite DISY securing a first-place finish in the European elections, their 24.8% share of the vote marked the worst performance in the party’s history. ^[20]

DISY continued to face internal challenges after the European elections, notably between Averof Neofytou, the party's former leader and its presidential candidate in 2023, and Nicos Anastasiades, former party leader and President of Cyprus from 2013 to 2023. In a podcast on July 8, 2024, Anastasiades criticised Neofytou’s 2023 presidential campaign, suggesting that it had failed to resonate with DISY supporters, contributing to the party's defeat. He also questioned Neofytou’s alignment with AKEL-backed candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis during the second round of the election, to which Neofytou failed to qualify. ^{[21] [22] [23]} Anastasiades' remark that he did not want to "bother with bitter people," directed at Neofytou, prompted a response from Neofytou on social media, stating that the "bitter" ones were the thousands who had once trusted Anastasiades, along with broader criticisms of Anastasiades' handling of the Cyprus problem. ^{[24] [25]}

Neofytou also clashed with current DISY leader Annita Demetriou over the party’s support for the Great Sea Interconnector, ^[26] a planned HVDC interconnector between the Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids. ^{[27] [28]} The project, primarily developed during the DISY-backed Anastasiades’ presidency, has strong backing from DISY. However, Neofytou expressed strong disagreement about advancing energy projects before resolving the Cyprus problem and questioned whether the interconnection will actually reduce energy bills in Cyprus. This stance put him at odds with Demetriou, who strongly supports the project. ^{[26] [29] [30]} In September 2024, when asked about Neofytou's potential candidacy for the 2028 presidential election—following his own expressed interest—Annita Demetriou responded that Neofytou had already been tested in 2023, and in light of the public's verdict, DISY should now move forward for the benefit of the country. ^{[31] [32]}

Prominent MPs Averof Neofytou, Efthymios Diplaros, and Harris Georgiades have announced that they will not seek re-election in the upcoming legislative election, in adherence to the party statute's 3-term-limit. ^{[33] [34] [35]} However, they intend to remain politically active. ^{[33] [36] [35]}

Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)

The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), the second-largest party in Cyprus with 15 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives, ^[7] experienced its worst-ever performance in the 2024 European Parliament Election, garnering only 21.5% of the vote and losing one of its two seats for the first time in its history. ^{[37] [38] [39]} Despite AKEL’s strong showing in the 2023 presidential election, with candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis surpassing polling expectations, ^{[40] [8]} internal tensions have emerged since then. ^[41]

Irene Charalambidou, a prominent AKEL Member of Parliament, has increasingly distanced herself from the party’s positions, frequently voting independently in the House of Representatives. ^{[42] [43]} The rift between Charalambidou and AKEL deepened during the controversy over the dismissal of Odysseas Michaelides, the former Auditor General of Cyprus. Charalambidou is a longstanding supporter of Michaelides due to his efforts against perceived corruption during the Anastasiades administration. The MP is ineligible to run for AKEL in the 2026 legislative elections due to term limits, and there are widespread rumours that she may join a new parliamentary movement led by Michaelides, who has garnered popularity for his anti-corruption stance. ^{[43] [44] [45]} An opinion poll conducted by RetailZoom from October 14 to 16, 2024, indicated that a hypothetical new party led by Odysseas Michaelides would secure second place in the next legislative election, receiving 21% of the vote. ^[46]

AKEL rebranded itself as "AKEL - Social Alliance" for the 2024 European Parliament Election, following a merger with several smaller left-leaning parties. ^[47] The party intends to keep this structure for the next legislative election, with its parliamentary candidates ranging from the political center to the traditional left. ^[48]

National People's Front (ELAM)

The far-right party ELAM is expected to strengthen its presence in the House of Representatives, with opinion polls projecting a third-place finish, surpassing for the first time the centrist Democratic Party. ^[49] Once considered a fringe movement, over the last few years ELAM has gained increasing support from mainstream right-wing voters. Notably, former DISY vice-president Marios Pelekanos was appointed as ELAM's Press Representative, signaling broader appeal beyond its traditional base. ^[19]

In January 2025, independent MP Andreas Themistokleous, who was previously elected with ELAM but later expelled for "inappropriate behavior," ^[50] announced the formation of a new political party named the Democratic National Movement . The new party espouses a platform emphasizing religious conservatism, nationalism, and strong opposition to progressive social policies ("anti-woke"). It is anticipated to attract support from traditional ELAM voters, potentially impacting ELAM's projected growth. ^[51]

ALMA – Citizens for Cyprus

ALMA (an acronym for Dignity, Accountability, Reform, and Development) is a new political movement founded in May 2025 by former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides. ^[52] Positioned within the reformist center and opposition space, ALMA was established with the aim of achieving systemic restructuring and political transparency in Cyprus. The party has announced its intention to contest the 2026 legislative elections as its first electoral test, with Michaelides aiming for a strong parliamentary presence as a step toward a potential presidential bid in 2028. ALMA advocates for a federal solution to the Cyprus problem in line with UN resolutions and EU principles, and has drawn speculation about future alliances, particularly with MP Irene Charalambidou, a known supporter of Michaelides who has distanced herself from her current party AKEL. ^{[53] [54]}

Opinion polls

Date	Polling firm	DISY	AKEL	ELAM	ALMA	DIKO	Volt	EDEK	KOSP	DIPA	EP	APC	Others	Lead
1 – 8 Jul 2025	Symmetron Market Research	23.2	20.5	16.4	15.1	8.2	2.7	4.1	2.7	1.4	-	-	5.5	2.7
24 – 28 Jun 2025	IMR	22.2	23.5	16.0	14.8	8.6	3.7	2.5	3.7	1.2	1.2	-	2.5	1.3
10 Mar – 21 Mar 2025	Redwolf	25.0	20.0	16.25	11.25	10.0	5.0	3.75	5.0	1.25	-	-	2.5	5.0
5 Mar - 11 Mar 2025	IMR	24.0	21.5	16.5	13.9	8.9	3.8	2.5	3.8	1.3	1.3	-	2.5	2.5
21 Oct – 1 Nov 2024	Rai Consultants	27.9	25.8	14.5	-	11.4	5.7	4.0	1.6	-	1.4	0.9	7.7	2.1
14 – 16 Oct 2024	RetailZoom	23.5	11.1	9.9	20.1	3.7	14.8	1.2	2.5	1.2	-	1.2	10.8	3.4
25 Sep – 5 Oct 2024	Symmetron Market Research	28.8	25	14.1	-	10.9	3.2	4.3	3.6	3.4	-	-	6.6	3.8
9 June 2024	2024 European Parliament election	24.8	21.5	11.2	–	9.7	2.9	5.1	1.3	2.2	1.3	–		3.3
12–16 Feb 2024	SIGMA	29.0	27.5	14.5	-	11.6	1.4	4.3	2.9	4.3	–	1.4	2.9	1.5
2-9 Feb 2024	Symmetron Market Research	30.7	29.0	10.9	-	13.6	2.8	3.7	3.4	3.7	-	-	1.9	1,7
3–11 Jan 2024	IMR	25.7	27.8	17.4	-	9.7	1.8	3.2	4.9	3.3	0.7	–	2.8	2.1
18–22 Sep 2023	IMR	26.1	28.0	17.4	-	10.1	1.4	2.9	5.8	1.4	1.4	–	4.4	1.9
30 May	Election 2021	27.8%	22.3%	6.8%	-	11.3%	-	6.7%	4.4%	6.1%	3.3%	1.0%	10.3%	5.5

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