Democratic Rally Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός Demokratik Seferberlik | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Abbreviation | DISY |
| President | Annita Demetriou |
| Deputy President | Efthimios Diplaros |
| Vice Presidents | Savia Orfanidou Georgios Karoullas Yiannis Karousos |
| Founder | Glafcos Clerides |
| Founded | 4 July 1976; 49 years ago (1976-07-04) |
| Preceded by | EK[1] DEK PP |
| Headquarters | Nicosia,Cyprus |
| Think tank | ONEDISY |
| Student wing | PROTOPORIA |
| Youth wing | NEDISY (Democratic Rally Youth) |
| Women's wing | GODISY |
| Membership(2022) | 50,660[2] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-right[6] toright-wing[7] |
| European affiliation | European People's Party |
| European Parliament group | European People's Party Group |
| International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International International Democracy Union |
| Colours | Blue |
| House of Representatives | 17 / 56 |
| European Parliament | 2 / 6 |
| Municipal Councils | 140 / 443 |
| Website | |
| disy.org.cy | |
TheDemocratic Rally (Greek:Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός,romanized: Dimokratikós Sinagermós, ΔΗΣΥ,DISY) is aChristian democratic[8][9] andliberal-conservative[10]political party in Cyprus led byAnnita Demetriou.[11] The party was founded on 4 July 1976 by veteran politicianGlafcos Clerides. Two leaders of the party have served as presidents of Cyprus, Clerides from 1993 until 2003 andNicos Anastasiades from 2013 to 2023.
From 11 March 2023, the leader of the party isAnnita Demetriou, who also serves as thepresident of the House of Representatives since June 2021.[12][13]
DISY serves a widely diverse spectrum of voters, ranging from hard-lineGreek Cypriot nationalists andanti-communists tohumanist liberals with post-materialist and post-modern values who advocatehuman rights.[14] DISY's platform focuses on free enterprise economic policies, lower direct taxes (i.e., on income earned and investment) and higher indirect taxes (i.e., on consumption, excise, and negative externalities), economic development, opposing government deficits, investments ininfrastructure, and a practical solution to theCyprus dispute (though the party base is traditionally more hawkish and hard-line than the party leadership). It is the most explicitlyAtlanticist and pro-NATO of Cyprus's parties, and draws its support from middle-class professionals, businessmen, and white-collar employees.[15]
The Democratic Rally (DISY) emerged from the split of theright-wing "Eniaion" into two opposing parties. Following theTurkish invasion and the1974 coup d'état, internal conflicts withinEniaion led to the creation of DISY, led byGlafkos Clerides, andDIKO, led bySpyros Kyprianou.[16][17] The newly established DISY was apro-Western[18] andanti-communist[19] party, that brought together the moderatecentre-right and formerEOKA B sympathisers, both of whom opposed the return ofArchbishop Makarios to the presidency.[20] Founded in 1976, DISY's logo is theNike of Paionios.
In the1976 legislative election, the newly-established Democratic Rally (DISY) formed analliance with thefar-rightDemocratic National Party (DEK) to oppose the ruling president,Makarios III. This coalition ran against the governing parties, which had united under thealliance named "Democratic Powers" in support of the president.[21]
The Democratic Powers alliance, composed ofDIKO,AKEL, andEDEK, won 34 out of the 35 seats. Theindependent candidate,Tassos Papadopoulos, secured the remaining seat. The DISY-DEK alliance failed to win any seats, leaving them without representation in the parliament.[22]
Five years after its electoral defeat, in the1981 legislative election, DISY secured 12 seats in theHouse of Representatives, establishing itself as theofficial opposition toSpyros Kyprianou's government. The party received 31.8% of the popular vote, winning the same number of seats asAKEL, which garnered 32.7% and finished first.[23][24][25] This election marked the first time that formerEOKA fighters entered the Cypriot parliament.[26]
The Democratic Rally participated in presidential elections for the first time in1983, supporting its president and founder,Glafcos Clerides. Clerides faced the incumbent president,Spyros Kyprianou, and the leader ofEDEK,Vassos Lyssarides. Kyprianou was supported by the alliance ofDIKO andAKEL.[27] Clerides finished second with 33.9% of the vote and lost in the first round, with Kyprianou securing victory with 56.4% of the vote.[28]
The electoral power of the Democratic Rally continued to grow, and in the1985 legislative election, it finished first, securing 19 out of the 52 seats.[29] In the1988 presidential election,Glafcos Clerides led in the first round with 33.3% of the votes[30][31] but narrowly lost in the second round toindependent candidateGeorge Vassiliou, who was supported byAKEL.[32][33] In the1991 legislative election, the party finished first again and gained one more seat, bringing their total to 20 seats in theHouse of Representatives.[34]
In the second round of the1993 presidential election,Glafcos Clerides narrowly defeated the incumbent president,George Vassiliou.[35] Following his victory, Clerides extended an open invitation to all political parties to form acoalition government.[36] After several days of negotiations, amajority government was established, consisting of the DISY andDIKO.[37] Clerides did not seek re-election for the party leadership, and as a result, on June 11, 1993,Yiannakis Matsis became the president of the Democratic Rally, running unopposed.[38][39] Matsis reassured that the party would continue supporting the government of its founder,Glafcos Clerides.[40]
Clerides prioritised the admission ofCyprus into theEuropean Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of theEuropean Union, and aimed to hold aUnited Nations National Conference to address theCyprus problem.[41] Faced with a highbudget deficit inherited from the previous administration, Clerides'finance minister implemented measures to reducepublic spending and increasetaxation.[42][43][44][45][46]
During his presidency,Clerides engaged in multiple discussions withRauf Denktaş, the "president" of the self-proclaimedTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, to address theCyprus problem.[47][48] Clerides sought greater involvement from theUnited States in resolving the issue, which he conveyed to PresidentBill Clinton during their meeting inNew York.[49] Additionally, Clerides had a notable disagreement withBritish Foreign MinisterDouglas Hurd over his stance on theCyprus issue.[50]
On June 7, 1997,Yiannakis Matsis, President of the Democratic Rally, expressed his serious dissatisfaction with presidentClerides for not listening to the party's input. He also criticised his party for failing to produce substantial policy proposals and for the vindictive behaviour of some members. In protest, he withdrew his candidacy for re-election as president of DISY.[51][52]Nicos Anastasiades competed withDemetris Syllouris for the party leadership and won the election with 69% of the vote.[52]
During his first five-year term, Clerides lost the support of his coalition partner,DIKO, which instead backed his opponent,Georgios Iacovou, in the1998 presidential election.[53] Despite being supported by bothAKEL andDIKO,[54] Iacovou lost the election, with Clerides winning a second term with 50.8% of the vote in the second round.[55] Although Clerides aimed to create an all-party government,AKEL andDIKO strongly opposed his invitation and positioned themselves as "strongopposition" parties.[56][57][58] After discussions with multiple party leaders, acoalition government was formed between DISY,EDEK andUnited Democrats (EDI).[59][60]
During 1997–1998, Clerides' government made the decision to acquire Russian-madeS-300 missile systems, heightening tensions withTurkey, which threatenedmilitary action in response.[61] The crisis ended in December 1998 whenCyprus relocated the missiles toGreece. The so-calledCypriot S-300 crisis led to the dissolution of the coalition government, leaving only DISY andEDI remaining in the coalition.[62][63]
During his second term, Clerides actively pursued Cyprus's admission to theEuropean Union, engaging in numerous official accession talks.[64][65]
Clerides had announced that he would not seek re-election for a third term. However, on January 3, 2003, he urged Cypriots to grant him an additional 16-month term to pursue a reunification deal with the self-proclaimedNorthern Cyprus. Clerides called on other candidates to support him and form anational unity government to achieve this goal; however, his opponents did not agree to his proposal.[66][67]
In the2003 presidential election,Glafcos Clerides sought an additional 16-month term to pursue a reunification deal.[66] Although he had the official support of his party, a notable former DISYMP andAttorney General ofCyprus,Alecos Markides, opposed Clerides' candidacy and ranindependently in the election. Markides garnered significant support from within DISY, including backing from 5 of the 19 DISY MPs, and secured 6.6% of the vote. Clerides received 38.8% in the first round, whileTassos Papadopoulos, supported byDIKO andAKEL, won the election outright with 51.5% of the vote, making DISY theofficial opposition.[68][69]
Following the election results, DISY PresidentNicos Anastasiades immediately expelled the fiveMPs who had supportedMarkides from the party's registry. These MPs includedDemetris Syllouris,Prodromos Prodromou,Riccos Erotokritou,Eleni Vrahimi, andSofoklis Hatziyiannis. Anastasiades strongly criticised them for undermining Clerides' candidacy and contributing to the party's electoral defeat.[70] The five expelled members condemned Anastasiades' action and demanded his resignation, warning of a "civil war" within the party.[71]
On April 24, 2004, Cypriot voters participated in areferendum on the Annan Plan, which proposed the establishment of the United Republic of Cyprus as afederation of two states: Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot. The plan outlined afederal government that would feature a collective Presidential Council, a bicameral legislature, a Supreme Court with equal representation from both communities, and mechanisms for reconciliation and troop reductions.[72]
After an internal referendum, the Democratic Rally officially endorsed theAnnan Plan, encouraging its voters to support it with a YES vote.Glafcos Clerides, who was 85, notably remarked that if the majority rejected the plan, he would prefer to die rather than witness the resulting devastating consequences.[73][74]
The Democratic Rally was the only parliamentary party to support theAnnan Plan, alongside the smallerUnited Democrats, leading to a vote against thereferendum.[75]
Despite the party's official stance, a significant faction within DISY expressed opposition to the referendum, raising concerns about a potential split of the party. Former DISY presidentYiannakis Matsis, who had previously clashed withAnastasiades' leadership, initiated plans to form a new political party called "European Rally", receiving support from expelled MPsProdromos Prodromou andDemetris Syllouris.[76]
The opposers of theAnnan Plan followed through on their threats by founding the alliance "Rally For Europe" in preparation for the2004 European Parliament elections. Among the six candidates wereYiannakis Matsis, former president of DISY, along withRiccos Erotokritou andProdromos Prodromou, all of whom were critical ofAnastasiades' DISY leadership.[77] The alliance also received support from expelled DISYMP and Parliamentary SpokespersonDemetris Syllouris, although he did not actively join it.[78][79] The Democratic Rally contested the use of the term "Rally" in the alliance's name, citing legal restrictions against other parties using it.[80][81] Ultimately, the alliance was renamed "For Europe" and received 10.8% of the votes, withMatsis securing one of the six seats in theEuropean Parliament. The Democratic Rally narrowly surpassedAKEL, winning two seats with 28.2% of the votes.[82]
_(cropped).jpg)
Following the elections, the "For Europe" alliance continued to distance itself from its parent party, DISY, and eventually evolved into a registered political party known asEuropean Democracy (EvroDi).[83] Despite initially endorsing the alliance,Demetris Syllouris refused to joinEvroDi and promoted the foundation of a new political movement, theEuropean Party (EVROKO).[84][85]
In 2005, expelled DISYMPSyllouris proposed merging theright-wing partiesEvroDi andNew Horizons to formEVROKO. He gained support from New Horizons and from a significant faction of expelled DISY MPs and EvroDi members. However,Prodromos Prodromou, president of EvroDi, did not accept the merger proposal. This led to a split inEvroDi, with many of its members, including its vice-presidentRiccos Erotokritou, joiningEVROKO.[85][86][87]
The aftermath of the internal disagreements led to the split of DISY into three co-existing parties, each led by influential and notable figures who had played active roles duringClerides' administration.[85]
In the2006 legislative election, the Democratic Rally finished second toAKEL, securing 30.3% of the vote—its poorest performance since 1976. TheEuropean Party, led by expelled DISYMPDemetris Syllouris, garnered a notable 5.8% of the vote, drawing significant support away from DISY.European Democracy, the second splinter party, led by expelled DISYMPProdromos Prodromou, received only 0.4% of the votes.[88]
After the defeat in the2003 presidential election, the split of DISY into three parties over opposing views on theAnnan Plan, and the loss toAKEL in the2006 legislative election, the Democratic Rally sought a candidate with broad multi-party support for the2008 presidential election. Their candidate, formerMinister of Foreign Affairs andMEPIoannis Kasoulidis, received backing from several small parties, including the splinterEuropean Democracy. However, he failed to gain the support of the strongerEVROKO, which instead supported the incumbentTassos Papadopoulos.[89][90][91]
In the first round,Kasoulidis narrowly surpassed the leader ofAKEL,Demetris Christofias. However, theDemocratic Party, whose candidateTassos Papadopoulos failed to advance to the second round, supported Christofias, resulting in Kasoulidis losing the election with 46.6% of the vote in the second round.[90][92][93]
Following the election,Prodromos Prodromou, leader of the splinter partyEuropean Democracy, rejoined the Democratic Rally, effectively merging his party with it.[94][95]
Following the defeat ofIoannis Kasoulidis in the2008 presidential election, the Democratic Rally maintained its position as the mainopposition party.[96] The administration ofPresidentDemetris Christofias faced significant challenges that led to widespread protests, notably theNaval Base Explosion in Mari[97][98][99] and the2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis.[100][101][102] Opinion polls indicated that the Christofias' government was largely perceived as responsible for the economic downturn,[103][104] resulting in low approval ratings by the end of his term.[105][106]
The Democratic Rally capitalised on the prevailing dissatisfaction with theAKEL government, securing 34.3% of the votes in the2011 legislative elections. Subsequent opinion polls suggested a strong likelihood of victory for the party in the2013 presidential election.[107][108]
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An internal election was held within the Democratic Rally to select a candidate for the2013 presidential election. The party president,Nikos Anastasiades won the election, receiving 86.7% of the votes, while his opponent,MEPEleni Theocharous, received 13.3%.[109]
Anastasiades campaigned on the public dissatisfaction withChristofias' handling of the economy, using the slogan "Crises need Leaders", in reference to thefinancial crisis.[110][111] He also received support fromDIKO.[112] In the first round of the election, Anastasiades secured 45.5% of the vote, nearly 20 percentage points ahead ofAKEL-backedStavros Malas.[113] In the second round, Anastasiades won the presidency with 57.5% of the vote.[114] His majority government was a coalition of DISY,DIKO and the splinterEVROKO.[115][116]
Following Anastasiades' election,MPAverof Neofytou was elected as the new president of the Democratic Rally. Neofytou had previously served asMayor of Polis (1992-1996) and asMinister of Communications and Works (1999-2003) in Clerides' administration.[117][118]
Anastasiades inherited the2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis, forcing him to break his campaign promises and implement a strict banking bailout in collaboration with theEuropean Union and theInternational Monetary Fund. The agreement, signed off by theEurogroup, aimed to prevent the bankruptcy of Cyprus' main banks and avoid a potentialeuro exit.[119][120] As a result of these broken promises,DIKO withdrew its support from the government, leading to the removal of its ministers from the cabinet.[121]
During his first term, Anastasiades oversaw the closure ofCyprus Popular Bank,[122]Cyprus Cooperative Bank[123][124] andCyprus Airways.[125][126] He also participated in critical negotiations regarding theCyprus problem, including the Mont Pèlerin talks in November 2016[127][128] and theCrans-Montana talks in the summer of 2017.[129][130] However, no agreement was reached between the two sides.[131][132]
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In November 2015,Eleni Theocharous, a two-term DISYMEP and paediatric surgeon who had contestedAnastasiades for DISY's presidential nomination in 2013, announced her resignation from the party. She cited disagreements over DISY's stance on theCyprus problem as the reason for her departure. Theocharous subsequently founded a new splinter party, theSolidarity Movement.[133][134] In early 2016, the splinter partyEVROKO, led by former DISYMPDemetris Syllouris, withdrew its support from Anastasiades' government and merged with Theocharous'Solidarity Movement ahead of the2016 legislative election. This shift left Anastasiades with a minority government, supported solely by DISY.[135][136]
In the2016 legislative election, DISY received 30.7% of the votes and secured 18 seats, a decrease from the 20 seats won in the previous election.Theocharous' splinter party,Solidarity Movement, which had absorbedSyllouris'EVROKO, gained 5.2% and won 3 seats.
During his second term, Anastasiades confronted significant challenges, including theCOVID-19 pandemic[137][138] and the consequences of theRussian invasion of Ukraine, which he condemened.[139][140][141][142] Despite these challenges, Anastasiades oversaw the implementation of theGeneral Healthcare System[143] and the establishment of aMinimum Wage.[144]
During his presidency, Nicos Anastasiades was involved in multiple corruption scandals, including thePandora papers,[145] theCyprus Confidential[146][147] and the trilogy ofMakarios Drousiotis' political thrillers.[148][149][150] In 2024, Drousiotis' third publication, "Mafia State," instigated a criminal investigation against Anastasiades, prompting the involvement of international legal practitionerGabrielle Louise McIntyre.[151][152][153]
In December 2021, the president of the Democratic Rally,Averof Neofytou, announced his candidacy for the2023 presidential election, positioning himself as the official party nominee.[154] However, his candidacy was challenged byNikos Christodoulides, Anastasiades'Minister of Foreign Affairs, who also expressed his intention to seek DISY's nomination.[155] Following accusations of undermining his campaign, Christodoulides resigned from his ministerial role and subsequently declared hisindependent candidacy for the2023 presidential election.[156][157][158]
Nikos Christodoulides'independent candidacy created significant turmoil within the Democratic Rally.Averof Neofytou referred to Christodoulides as a "traitor," alleging that he sought to divide the party.[159] DISY expelled Christodoulides from its party register and attempted to distance itself from him.[160][161][162][163] Despite this, Christodoulides, a prominent politician who secured official support fromDIKO,[164][165]EDEK,[166]DIPA,[167] and the DISY splinter partySolidarity Movement,[168] led to a division among Democratic Rally voters. Early opinion polls indicated a near-even split among DISY supporters between Neofytou and Christodoulides.[169][170][171]
Nikos Christodoulides used to be the absolute favourite to win theelection, with approximately 50% of the public expressing support for him in May 2022, giving him a substantial 30-point lead overAverof Neofytou in the first round.[172] Despite a decline in popularity over time, he retained a 6-point lead in the latest opinion polls.[173] Throughout his campaign, Christodoulides was generally hesitant to criticise the 10-year administration ofNicos Anastasiades, often stating that his approach would focus on continuing successful policies while aiming to improve or abolish those that had not produced the desired outcomes.[174]
Nicos Christodoulides announced his intention to form anational unity government, consisting of ministers from all political parties and free frompolitical opposition.[175] This proposal was promptly rejected by Averof Neofytou, who stated that the Democratic Rally would not participate in any government led by Christodoulides and, should DISY lose the election, the responsible course of action would be to respect the will of the electorate and assume a constructive role in opposition.[176]
During the Democratic Rally's contentiouspresidential campaign, a significant portion of party members expressed support forNikos Christodoulides.[177] There were even allegations thatPresidentNicos Anastasiades was covertly underminingAverof Neofytou's candidacy in favor of Christodoulides.[178][179][180] This internal division intensified, leading influential figures, including former parliamentary candidatesPantelis Poietis andKonstantinos Letybiotis,[181] to resign from DISY and endorse Christodoulides.[182][183]
Averof Neofytou finished third in the first round of the election, receiving 26.1% of the votes, the lowest share in the history of the Democratic Rally.[184] This outcome marked the first instance in which a DISY candidate did not advance to the second round of a presidential election.[185] In the second round, DISY opted not to endorse any candidate officially, although several prominent party members expressed their support.[186] Notable endorsements forNikos Christodoulides came fromPresidentNicos Anastasiades, Education MinisterProdromos Prodromou, former Health MinisterConstantinos Ioannou, and Parliamentary SpokespersonNicos Tornaritis. In contrast,AKEL-backedAndreas Mavroyiannis received backing fromAverof Neofytou, Foreign MinisterIoannis Kasoulidis, and formerMPKaiti Clerides, the daughter of party founderGlafkos Clerides.[186]
The second round of the election resulted in an equal division among the DISY electorate betweenAndreas Mavroyiannis andNikos Christodoulides, the latter of whom was viewed by some, includingAverof Neofytou, as a "renegade".[187][188] Nikos Christodoulides ultimately won the election with 52.0% of the vote in the second round,[189] incorporating a faction of DISY members into his government.[190]
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Following the defeat in the2023 presidential election and the internal divisions resulting fromNikos Christodoulides'independent candidacy, three politicians announced their intention to run for the presidency of the Democratic Rally.Averof Neofytou, seeking a third term, was set to compete against formerMinister of FinanceHarris Georgiadis andMPDemetris Demetriou.[191] However, to prevent further conflicts, both Neofytou and Georgiadis withdrew their candidacies and endorsedAnnita Demetriou, the President of theHouse of Representatives, as a unity candidate.[192][193][194][195] Annita Demetriou, recognised for her strong reputation and broad multi-party acceptance,[196][197] ultimately defeated Demetris Demetriou, winning the presidency of DISY with 69.2% of the votes.[198]
Despite the party's official stance as 'responsibleopposition',[199] many view DISY's role as ambiguous and uncertain. A substantial number ofChristodoulides' ministers are active members of DISY,[190] and the party has shown significant support for the president in parliament. A notable example is the 2024 National Budget, where DISY made feweramendments than the governing parties.[200] This perceived balancing act has led to public dissatisfaction with the party's role as opposition to the unpopularChristodoulides administration.[201][202]
In preparation for the2024 European Parliament Election, DISY carried out an internal election to choose its six candidates. Nine personalities announced their interest for the election, with former Health MinisterMichalis Hatzipantelas emerging as the top candidate.[203][204][205]
Marios Pelekanos, one of the three vice presidents of the Democratic Rally, finished second to last in the internal election and was not included in the list of six nominees. Pelekanos expressed profound dissatisfaction and subsequently resigned from his position within the party leadership, citing a series of underlying events that had undermined his standing.[206][207] After multi-day discussions withELAM, on March 22, 2024, it was announced that he would run in theEuropean Elections as a candidate of theultranationalist party. The leader of DISY,Annita Demetriou, harshly condemned this move, and thecentre-right party proceeded by deleting Pelekanos from its register, emphasising the vast differences in politics between the two parties.[208][209] Marios Pelekanos, who had also held the position of government spokesperson inAnastasiades' administration from 2021 to 2023, became the Press Representative ofELAM[210]
Despite numerous challenges, including the candidacy ofMarios Pelekanos withELAM,[208]Eleni Theocharous (leader of the splinterSolidarity Movement) withDIKO,[211][212] andPantelis Poietis (former DISYMP candidate) withDIPA,[213][214][215] as well as many corruption scandals fromAnastasiades' administration[145][216][217][218][219][220] and widespread dissatisfaction with DISY's role as the main opposition inChristodoulides' government,[190] thecentre-right party managed to achieve another first-place finish, maintaining its two seats in theEuropean Parliament. However, the 24.8% of the popular vote is the worst result in the party's history, significantly lower than the 29% in the2019 election and the 37.8% in the2014 election.[221]
In a podcast on July 8, 2024, former PresidentNicos Anastasiades criticisedAverof Neofytou's campaign for the2023 presidential elections, suggesting that his detachment from the sentiments of DISY supporters contributed to the party's defeat. Anastasiades also questioned Neofytou's perceived alignment with theAKEL-backed candidate,Andreas Mavroyiannis, in the second round of the election.[222][223][224]
Anastasiades' remark, "I don't want to bother with bitter people", directed at Averof Neofytou, elicited a strong response from Neofytou on Twitter. Neofytou responded by stating that those who are "bitter" are the thousands who once trusted Anastasiades, along with broader criticisms of Anastasiades' handling of theCyprus problem.[225][226]
TheGreat Sea Interconnector is a plannedHVDC interconnector between theGreek,Cypriot, andIsraelipower grids via the world’s longestsubmarine power cable.[227][228] The project has received support from the Democratic Rally. However, in late August 2024,Averof Neofytou expressed opposition to advancing any energy projects before resolving theCyprus problem, and he questioned whether the interconnection will actually reduce energy bills inCyprus. This stance led to a conflict with DISY PresidentAnnita Demetriou, who has strongly supported the project.[229][230] Averof Neofytou, along withKyriakos Hadjiyiannis, remains among the only two DISYMPs opposing the interconnection, which has been primarily developed during the presidency ofNicos Anastasiades.[231]
In September 2024, when asked whetherAverof Neofytou could again be the party's candidate for the2028 presidential election—following his expressed interest—Annita Demetriou responded that Neofytou had already been tested in2023, and respecting the public's verdict, DISY should now move forward for the good of the country.[232][233]
In thelegislative elections of 21 May 2006, the party won 30.52% of the popular vote and 18 out of 56 available seats, and in thelegislative elections of 22 May 2011, the party won 34.27% of the popular vote and 20 out of 56 available seats.[234] The party's candidate,Nicos Anastasiades, won the2013 presidential elections, ending five years of rule by theProgressive Party of Working People (AKEL).[235] In thelegislative elections of 2016, the party won 30.68%, taking 18 seats in the parliament and remaining the party with the largest representation.[236]
| Election | Votes | Seats | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | Rank | # | ± | |
| 1976 | 485,332 | 28.1 | 2nd | 0 / 35 | new |
| 1981 | 92,886 | 31.9 | 2nd | 12 / 35 |  12 |
| 1985 | 107,223 | 33.6 | 1st | 19 / 56 | 7 |
| 1991 | 122,495 | 35.8 | 1st | 20 / 56 | 1 |
| 1996 | 127,380 | 34.5 | 1st | 20 / 56 |  0 |
| 2001 | 139,721 | 34.0 | 2nd | 19 / 56 |  1 |
| 2006 | 127,776 | 30.3 | 2nd | 18 / 56 | 1 |
| 2011 | 138,682 | 34.3 | 1st | 20 / 56 | 2 |
| 2016 | 107,824 | 30.7 | 1st | 18 / 56 | 2 |
| 2021 | 99,328 | 27.8 | 1st | 17 / 56 | 1 |
| Election | Votes | Seats | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | Rank | # | ± | |
| 2004 | 94,355 | 28.23 | 1st | 2 / 6 | new |
| 2009 | 109,209 | 35.65 | 1st | 2 / 6 | 0 |
| 2014 | 97,732 | 37.75 | 1st | 2 / 6 | 0 |
| 2019 | 81,539 | 29.02 | 1st | 2 / 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 91,316 | 24.78 | 1st | 2 / 6 | 0 |
| Year | Candidate | 1st Round | 2nd Round | Elected | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Result | Votes | % | Results | ||||
| 1978 | Spyros Kyprianou | .jpg) | no opponent |  | |||||
| 1983 | Glafcos Clerides | | 104.294 | 33,9 | 2nd place | Lost in first round |  | ||
| 1988 | 111.504 | 33,3 | 1st place | 157,228 | 48,4 | 2nd place | | ||
| 1993 | 130.663 | 36,7 | 2nd place | 178.945 | 50,3 | 1st place | | ||
| 1998 | 158.763 | 40,1 | 2nd place | 206.879 | 50,8 | 1st place | | ||
| 2003 | 160.724 | 38,8 | 2nd place | Lost in first round | | ||||
| 2008 | Ioannis Kasoulidis | | 150.996 | 33,51 | 1st place | 210.195 | 46,63 | 2nd place | |
| 2013 | Nicos Anastasiades | | 200.591 | 45,46 | 1st place | 236.965 | 57,48 | 1st place | |
| 2018 | 137.231 | 35,50 | 1st place | 215.281 | 55,99 | 1st place | | ||
| 2023 | Averof Neofytou | | 103.748 | 26.11 | 3rd place | Didn't qualify | | ||
| No. | Leader | Portrait | Term of office | Key Events | President | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glafcos Clerides (1919-2013) | | 1976 | 1993 | 1993–2003 | ||
| 2 | Yiannakis Matsis (born 1933) | | 1993 | 1997 | |||
| 3 | Nicos Anastasiades (born 1946) | | 1997 | 2013 |
| 2013–2023 | |
| 4 | Averof Neofytou (born 1961) | | 2013 | 2023 | |||
| 5 | Annita Demetriou (born 1985) | | 2023 | incumbent | |||
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help){{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)[...] communist AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People—1926), social democratic EDEK (United Democratic Union of the Centre—1969), centre-right DIKO (Democratic Party—1976) and right-wing DISY (Democratic Rally—1976).
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help){{cite web}}:|last1= has generic name (help){{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)A Cyprus-based group including Greece's state-controlled power utility PPC said on Monday it planned to lay the world's longest subsea power cable linking Europe and Asia.
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| House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| Unrepresented | |
| Defunct | |
| National parties |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidents |
| ||||||||
| European Parliament Group Presidents |
| ||||||||
| European Commissioners (2024–2029) |
| ||||||||
| Heads of government at the European Council |
| ||||||||
