site.btaIndependent Candidate Fidias Panayiotou's Historic 20% Shakes Cyprus Politics

The 20% vote for independent candidate Fidias Panayiotou is an earthquake-level political development in Cyprus, Yiannos Katsourides, Political Scientist, said in a BTA interview on Monday, a day after his country voted to elect its representatives in the EP.

Commenting on the election results, he said "We had an astonishing result. That is something that has never happened in Cyprus."

Katsourides describes the election results as unprecedented for Cyprus. Fidias Panayiotou's 20% or so, a significant increase from the usual 1-2% for independents. At the age of 24, Panayiotou came third behind the two major parties. While other mainstream parties lost votes, the far right also increased its support. Katsourides attributed these changes to a process spanning the last 10-12 years.

He also expressed concern about the implications for Cyprus, underscoring the critical need for effective governance.

He highlighted two significant outcomes from the elections. Firstly, the election of an independent candidate who, despite lacking any political background or experience, managed to secure a position. Secondly, the far right will be representing Cyprus in the European Parliament for the first time.

Katsourides did not anticipate drastic changes in the European Parliament, but he predicts an expanded role for the far-right in the coming five years.