Greek Cypriots head to polls for parliamentary elections

NICOSIA

More than 560,000 voters prepared to head to the polls in Greek Cyprus on May 24 to elect 56 lawmakers who will serve in the parliament until 2031.

Authorities also announced that 859 Turkish Cypriots holding Greek Cyprus citizenship and residing in southern part of the ethnically-divided island have been included in the electorate.

The elections have already broken records in terms of candidacies, with a total of 750 candidates expected to appear on the ballot for the first time in the administration’s history.

The Cyprus dispute has persisted for decades between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite multiple U.N.-led initiatives. Intercommunal violence in the 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots into enclaves, while a 1974 Greek Cypriot coup aimed at union with Greece prompted Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect the Turkish Cypriot population.

The last major round of peace talks collapsed in Switzerland in 2017.

As the election atmosphere in the Greek Cypriot administration grows increasingly tense, the rise of the far-right National People’s Front (ELAM), particularly among younger voters, has drawn significant attention.

The party’s open embrace of Enosis, the idea of unification of Cyprus with Greece , as part of its campaign rhetoric has fueled concerns over the resurgence of hardline nationalism on the island.

ELAM’s discourse portraying Turkish Cypriots as a minority community, alongside renewed calls for union with Greece gaining political traction, has prompted warnings that a new nationalist wave could further undermine already fragile prospects for a settlement on the island.

A public opinion survey, involving 1,104 respondents, suggested that Greek Cyprus is witnessing a marked political shift, particularly among younger generations.

Among voters aged 18 to 34, ELAM emerged as the leading party with 16 percent support, followed by the conservative Democratic Rally (DISY) at 14 percent, while the left-wing Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) ranked third with 11 percent.

According to another survey conducted among the broader electorate, the DISY remains in the lead with 17 percent support, followed closely by the AKEL at 16 percent. While ELAM maintained its position as the third-largest political force.