The far-right National People’s Front (ELAM) increased its share of the vote in Cyprus’s parliamentary elections, the Interior Ministry reported on Sunday. With about 85% of ballots counted, ELAM — an offshoot of Greece’s banned Golden Dawn party — had secured roughly 11% of votes, up from 6.8% in 2021. If confirmed, that would make ELAM the third-largest party in the outgoing legislature.
Official results were expected to be released on Monday by state broadcaster RIK. Turnout was high: roughly two-thirds of the island’s 569,000 eligible voters cast ballots, with an overall participation rate of 66.6%.
Mainstream parties retained significant support but saw mixed results. The conservative DISY led the count with about 27% of the vote, followed by the left-wing Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) on 23.8%. The centrist Democratic Party received roughly 10%. Several centrist parties that have backed President Nikos Christodoulides in his minority government — DIKO, DIPA and EDEK — suffered losses.
Observers said the vote was shaped by public frustration over corruption scandals and the rising cost of living. Traditional forces were predicted to lose ground to newer and smaller movements, including centrist reform group ALMA and the pan-European Volt, alongside the gains by ELAM.
Because executive authority in Cyprus rests with the president, the parliamentary shift is unlikely to immediately change who holds executive power. However, a stronger presence of smaller and more fragmented parties in the House of Representatives could complicate President Christodoulides’s ability to win parliamentary backing for legislation.
Voters were choosing 56 lawmakers from 17 parties in this contest. The outcome is being viewed as an important barometer of public sentiment ahead of the 2028 presidential race and as an indicator of how emerging parties may reshape Cyprus’s political landscape.