- Source: Next Cypriot legislative election
The next Cypriot legislative elections are expected to be held in May 2026, 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. Of the 80, 56 are elected by Greek Cypriots and 24 by Turkish Cypriots. However, since 1963 the Turkish Cypriot seats have been unfilled, and the House of Representatives has de facto had 56 seats since its enlargement in the 1980s.
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. The seat allocations for the 2021 election were as follows:
Parties
= Democratic Rally (DISY)
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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. Following its defeat in the 2023 presidential election and internal divisions resulting from the independent candidacy of former DISY member Nikos Christodoulides, the party’s stance as the official opposition has been perceived as ambiguous. Several of Christodoulides' ministers are active DISY members, and on occasions, such as the 2024 National Budget, DISY made fewer amendments to the President's proposal compared to the governing parties. This perceived lack of opposition has contributed to public dissatisfaction with DISY’s role in countering the Christodoulides administration, which has faced increasing unpopularity.
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. 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. 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. Pelekanos, who had also served as the government spokesperson during the DISY-backed Anastasiades' administration (2021–2023), ultimately became ELAM's Press Representative. 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.
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. 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.
Neofytou also clashed with current DISY leader Annita Demetriou over the party’s support for the Great Sea Interconnector, a planned HVDC interconnector between the Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids. 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. 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.
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. However, they intend to remain politically active.
= Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)
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The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), the second-largest party in Cyprus with 15 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives, 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. Despite AKEL’s strong showing in the 2023 presidential election, with candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis surpassing polling expectations, internal tensions have emerged since then.
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. 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. 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.
AKEL rebranded itself as "AKEL - Social Alliance" for the 2024 European Parliament Election, following a merger with several smaller left-leaning parties. 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.
Opinion polls
References
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