Who Holds Power in Cyprus in November 2026

CYPRUS · POLITICS EXPLAINED

Cyprus has a strong president but a parliament that his own camp no longer controls. After the May 2026 election, two old parties, DISY and AKEL, lead the House of Representatives, while the president faces a UN-led push to restart talks on reuniting the island.

This guide, part of the Rio Times Europe politics coverage, explains who holds power in November 2026. It matters to US readers because Cyprus sits on the EU’s south-eastern edge, next to Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States.

For another Mediterranean neighbour, see our guide to Greece.

A Presidential System With a Weaker Hand

Cyprus has a presidential system. The president heads both state and government, and Nikos Christodoulides has held the post since he won the February 2023 runoff against Andreas Mavroyiannis, a former Greek Cypriot chief negotiator backed by AKEL, 51.97% to 48.03%.

Christodoulides once belonged to the Democratic Rally (DISY), the centre-right party, and served as government spokesman and then foreign minister under his predecessor, Nicos Anastasiades. He ran as an independent in 2023, and DISY removed him from its party register that January.

On 4 August he announced a partial cabinet reshuffle, and the new ministers were sworn in on 6 August. Evanthia Tsolaki replaced Alexis Vafeades at transport, and Christos Senekis replaced Maria Panayiotou at agriculture.

Konstantinos Letymbiotis is the government spokesman.

Parliament After the May Election

The House of Representatives has 56 seats filled by voters. Another 24 seats are reserved for Turkish Cypriots and have been unfilled since the 1960s, when Turkish Cypriots withdrew from state institutions.

A majority therefore needs 29 votes. The 24 May 2026 election had a turnout of 66.91%.

DISY won 17 seats with 27.15% of the vote, and AKEL, a left-wing party with communist roots, took 15 seats with 23.86%. The National Popular Front (ELAM), a nationalist party, rose from four seats to eight.

The Democratic Party (DIKO), a centrist party led by Nicholas Papadopoulos, also has eight, down one. Two newcomers won four seats each.

ALMA is a new party, and Direct Democracy Cyprus was founded by Fidias Panayiotou, a social media influencer elected to the European Parliament in 2024. Three smaller parties, EDEK, DIPA and KOSP, lost all 11 of their seats.

Eleven women were elected.

How Demetriou Kept the House Gavel

Annita Demetriou, DISY’s leader, was re-elected House president on 4 June 2026. She won 29 votes in the second round against 19 for Stefanos Stefanou, the AKEL leader.

DISY, DIKO and Direct Democracy backed her, while AKEL and ALMA backed Stefanou. ELAM, the party that came third, held back its eight votes.

Three Fights Shaping the Autumn

The first is over UN talks on reuniting the island, which has been divided since 1974. Christodoulides met the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman, on 27 October, and both are due to meet UN envoy María Ángela Holguín together on 9 November.

On 3 November Letymbiotis called Holguín’s earlier meeting with Turkey’s ambassador to the Turkish Cypriot north unacceptable and said it conflicts with UN Security Council Resolution 550. That 1984 resolution condemned secessionist steps in the north, including the exchange of ambassadors with Turkey.

After a separate 30-minute meeting with Christodoulides the same day, Holguín said, “We hope to have good news.”The second fight is over the 2028 race. Nicos Anastasiades, the former president, said on a podcast on 20 October that whichever of DISY or Christodoulides fails to reach the runoff should back the other against a candidate backed by AKEL, and a DISY vice-president rejected the idea.A poll commissioned by DISY and published on 1 August put Christodoulides on 19% in suitability ratings.

DISY ordered it, so treat it with caution. The third is the president’s weaker base.

The parties that backed him in 2023, EDEK and DIPA, no longer sit in the House, and DIKO, its leader says, is the only parliamentary party left in his government.

What It Means for US Readers

Cyprus is a European Union member whose reunification talks involve Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States. A deal is not close, but a joint meeting on 9 November will show whether Holguín can keep both leaders at the table.

A president without a large party of his own may find it harder to pass contested laws, though that is our analysis rather than reporting.

What Is Not Known

The exact date of the February 2028 vote has not been set in the sources we reviewed, and we found no recent independent poll on the race. The only one we found was commissioned by DISY.

The content of the 3 November talks beyond the spokesman’s remarks is unconfirmed. Whether the 9 November meeting will produce a joint statement is also unknown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the president of Cyprus?

Nikos Christodoulides, an independent, has been president since 2023. The next presidential election is due in February 2028.

Which party is largest in the Cypriot parliament?

DISY, the centre-right party, is largest with 17 of 56 seats after the 24 May 2026 election. AKEL has 15, and ELAM and DIKO have eight each.

What happens on 9 November in Cyprus?

UN envoy María Ángela Holguín is due to meet Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman together. The meeting will assess whether talks on the island’s division can restart.

Why are there 24 empty seats in the Cypriot parliament?

Seats are reserved for Turkish Cypriots and have been unfilled since the 1960s. The House therefore works with 56 members, and a majority is 29.

Sources: House of Representatives of Cyprus, 2026-06; Interior Ministry of Cyprus, results of the 24 May 2026 election, 2026-05; United Nations Security Council, Resolution 550 (1984), 1984-05-11; Cyprus government spokesman, briefing of 3 November 2026, 2026-11-03.