Next Cypriot legislative election explained

Election Name:2026 Cypriot legislative election
Country:Republic of Cyprus
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:yes
Previous Election:2021 Cypriot legislative election
Previous Year:2021
Next Election:Next Cypriot legislative election
Next Year:2031
Seats For Election:56 of 80 seats in the House of Representatives
Election Date:May 2026
Leader1:Annita Demetriou
Leader Since1:2023
Party1:Democratic Rally
Last Election1:17 seats, 27.8%
Leader2:Stefanos Stefanou
Leader Since2:2021
Party2:Progressive Party of Working People
Last Election2:15 seats, 22.3%
Leader3:Nikolas Papadopoulos
Leader Since3:2013
Party3:Democratic Party (Cyprus)
Last Election3:9 seats, 11.3%
Leader4:Christos Christou
Leader Since4:2008
Party4:ELAM (Cyprus)
Last Election4:4 seats, 6.8%
Swing4: 3pp
Leader5:Marinos Sizopoulos
Leader Since5:2015
Party5:EDEK
Last Election5:4 seats, 6.7%
Leader6:Marios Garoyian
Leader Since6:2016
Party6:Democratic Front (Cyprus)
Last Election6:4 seats, 6.1%
Leader7:George Perdikes
Leader Since7:2023
Party7:Movement of Ecologists — Citizens' Cooperation
Last Election7:3 seat, 4.4%
Map Size:333
President of the House of Representatives
Before Election:Annita Demetriou
Before Party:DISY
Outgoing Members:outgoing members
Leader8:Alexandra Attalides
Party8:Volt Cyprus
Last Election8:New
Leader Since8:2023
Majority Seats:29

The next Cypriot legislative elections are expected to be held in May 2026,[1] to elect 56 of the 80 members of the House of Representatives. The elections could be held earlier if parliament is dissolved before it reaches the end of its five-year term.

Electoral system

The 80 members of the House of Representatives are elected from six multi-member constituencies which corresponds to the six districts of Cyprus, with the number of seats allocated according to the population of each area.[2] Of the 80, 56 are elected by Greek Cypriots and 24 by Turkish Cypriots.[3] However, since 1963 the Turkish Cypriot seats have been unfilled,[4] and the House of Representatives has de facto had 56 seats since its enlargement in the 1980s.[5]

The elections are held using open list proportional representation; voters vote for a party and can then cast one preferential vote for a candidate on their party's list for every four seats available in their constituency (party leaders or other candidates heading coalitions are not required to receive preferential votes to be elected). Seats are allocated using the Hare quota, with any remaining seats allocated to lists that won at least one seat or parties that received at least 3.6% of the vote.[6] The seat allocations for the 2021 election were as follows:

Districts Seats
20
12
11
6
Paphos 4
3
Total 56

Parties

PartyIdeologyLeader
Democratic Rally (DISY)Liberal conservatismTBD
Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)Communism, Marxism-Leninism, CypriotismTBD
Democratic Party (DIKO)Greek Cypriot nationalism, CentrismTBD
National Popular Front (ELAM)Neo-fascism, UltranationalismTBD
Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK)Greek Cypriot nationalism, Social democracyTBD
Democratic Front (DIPA)CentrismTBD
Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation (KOSP)Green politics, Social democracyTBD
Volt CyprusPro-Europeanism, European federalism, United Cyprus, ProgressivismTBD

Opinion polls

DatePolling firmDISYAKELDIKOELAMEDEKDIPAKOSPEPZgtZVOLTOthersLead
9 June 20242024 European Parliament election24.821.59.711.25.12.21.31.32.93.3
12–16 Feb 2024SIGMA29.027.511.614.54.34.32.91.41.42.91.5
3–11 Jan 2024IMR25.727.89.717.43.23.34.90.71.82.82.1
18–22 Sep 2023IMR26.128.010.117.42.91.45.81.41.44.41.9
30 MayElection 202127.8%22.3%11.3%6.8%6.7%6.1%4.4%3.3%1.0%-10.3%5.5

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Parliamentary elections. Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  2. Web site: Comparative table on constituency delineation and seat allocation. Venice Commission. 22 January 2018.
  3. Web site: Last election. Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  4. Web site: Republic of Cyprus: Election for Vouli Antiprosopon. IFES Election Guide.
  5. Web site: Historical review. House of Representatives.
  6. Web site: IPU PARLINE database: CYPRUS (Vouli Antiprosopon), Electoral system. 2021-02-14. Inter-Parliamentary Union.