Far-right gains, new movements enter parliament in Cyprus elections

Cyprus's political landscape is set for a significant reshaping following Sunday's parliamentary elections, which saw the far-right ELAM party surge in popularity and a new anti-corruption movement, ALMA, secure seats.

The elections, seen as a bellwether for the presidential race in two years, revealed a decline in support for key centrist parties backing President Nikos Christodoulides. The far-right ELAM, an offshoot of Greece's Golden Dawn party, captured approximately 11 percent of the vote, a notable increase from its previous showing and making it the third-largest party in parliament. This surge places it behind the conservative DISY and the communist AKEL parties.

Centrist parties like Diko, Dipa, and EDEK, which support Christodoulides, experienced losses, with EDEK and Dipa failing to meet the electoral threshold. ALMA, a newly formed movement campaigning on accountability and political reform, successfully entered parliament with around 6 percent of the vote, explicitly ruling out cooperation with ELAM.

Campaigns were largely dominated by concerns over corruption and the rising cost of living. ELAM focused on anti-immigration rhetoric and a hardline stance on relations with Turkish Cypriots, advocating for the closure of checkpoints. The election results could signal the need for President Christodoulides to forge new alliances as he prepares for a potential re-election bid in 2028.

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If we don't win, it's because we don't deserve it, the opponent deserved it, was effective, unlike us.