Cyprus - May 2026

On 24 May, Cyprus held parliamentary elections to elects its 56-seat House of Representatives. The Democratic Rally (DISY), which remained the largest party in Parliament, won 17 seats with 27.1 per cent of the vote, followed by the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) with 15 seats. The far-right National Popular Front (ELAM) recorded a significant surge, becoming the third-largest party in Parliament, with a total of 8 seats; the same number as the Democratic Party (DIKO). New political forces also entered the House of Representatives, namely the anti-corruption movement ALMA (4 seats) and the Direct Democracy movement (4 seats), while several previously represented parties failed to retain parliamentary representation. Turnout stood at 66.4 per cent, up from 63.9 per cent in the 2021 elections. A total of 11 women were elected to the House of Representatives, representing 19.6 per cent of all 56 seats, up from 8 seats in the previous legislature.

Sources: Government of Cyprus, Euronews, Reuters, IPU Parline, KNews

The parliamentary elections held on 24 May resulted in women receiving 19.6 per cent of parliamentary seats, up from 14.3 per cent in 2021, setting a record for women’s representation (11 out of 56 parliamentary seats), up from 8 in the previous legislature. This marks a significant improvement in women’s political participation in the country. However, women remain substantially underrepresented, with Cyprus continuing to lag behind the average for women’s representation in national parliaments in Europe, which stands at around one-third of seats (i.e., 31.7 per cent).

Sources: Cyprus Mail, IPU Parline (1), KNews, IPU Parline (2), IPU Parline (3)