Cyprus is heading into its parliamentary elections on May 24, 2026, framed by a climate of political fluidity and geopolitical challenges. While the island’s traditionally dominant parties are locked in a fierce battle for first place, a wave of new political movements and anti-establishment forces are making a push for a powerful role in the next House of Representatives.
The election in Cyprus by the numbers
The upcoming electoral landscape features a highly fragmented field of candidates and an ongoing gender gap in political representation:
The Seats: Voters will elect 56 out of the 80 members of the House of Representatives (the remaining 24 seats are constitutionally allocated to the Turkish Cypriot community but remain vacant).
The Candidates: A total of 752 candidates are running. Of these, 743 are backed by more than 18 political parties and coalitions, while 9 are running as independents.
Gender Breakdown: Men make up 70.3% of the candidates, while women represent just 29.7%, highlighting a persistent imbalance in local political representation.
The Electorate: More than 568,000 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots.
Polling Stations: A total of 1,217 polling stations will operate across Cyprus, alongside 13 stations set up abroad for the diaspora—five in Athens, three in Thessaloniki, four in London, and one in Brussels.
Voting Hours: Polls open at 07:00 AM on Sunday and close at 06:00 PM, with a mandatory one-hour recess between 12:00 PM and 01:00 PM.
Traditional giants vs. new parties
The ballot features a clash between Cyprus’s long-established establishment and newly formed political factions tapping into voter frustration with the status quo.
The establishment
The traditional political heavyweights are all fighting to maintain their historical grip on parliament:
DISY (Democratic Rally – Conservative)
AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People – Left-wing)
DIKO (Democratic Party – Centrist)
EDEK (Social Ecology Movement – Social Democratic)
DEPA (Democratic Alignment – Centrist)
The challengers
The true wild card of this election is the rise of alternative and nationalist forces looking to capitalize on public anger over inflation, migration, and institutional distrust:
ALMA – Citizens for Cyprus: Led by highly popular former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides.
Volt Cyprus: The local chapter of the pan-European progressive movement.
“Direct Democracy”: A new political platform backed by independent MEP Fidias Panayiotou, who shook up Cypriot politics in the 2024 European elections.
ELAM (National Popular Front – Far-right): Gathering significant momentum by campaigning heavily on economic insecurity, high living costs, and strict anti-migration policies.
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