· President Nicos Christodoulides said he voted according to his ideology. He voted in Paphos, in the Geroskipou area. If he voted DISY, which is his ideological home, then he likely cast a single preference vote for Nikoletta Konstantinou, daughter of Kostakis Constantinou, former DISY MP in Paphos, who openly backed Christodoulides in 2023. Others argue that since DIKO is also a right‑wing party, Christodoulides could just as easily have voted for DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis. And since Christianity is also part of the President’s ideological identity, he may even have voted for Dimitris Baros of Direct Democracy, who crosses himself every second step he takes. Friends of the President dismiss such speculation, insisting Christodoulides photographed his ballot and sent it to friends. If he did, we would politely remind him that photographing a ballot is a criminal offence.
· Cyprus knows how to run elections. Without disputes or mishaps. Credit is due – as always – to the Ministry of the Interior and the Elections Service. In the recent elections, both Director‑General Elikkos Elias and Menelaos Vasileiou, head of the Central Elections Service, ensured the state emerged spotless. Everything worked smoothly. Well done to all involved.
· EDEK leader Nikos Anastasiou is widely liked, but some insist he could have helped his party by standing as a candidate himself (the same is said of Karoyian). Others counter that he is not well‑known enough to make a difference. To illustrate: even some of EDEK’s founding members do not recognise him. Recently, Anastasiou met 92‑year‑old Takis Hadjidemetriou, one of EDEK’s founders, at the Omega centre in Kato Pyrgos. After praising him warmly, Hadjidemetriou replied politely – and then asked: “And you, Mr Anastasiou, what do you do?”
· Did the ‘Sandy’ affair affect Volt’s results? Opinions differ. One week before the 24 May elections, polls suggested Volt and other small parties – DEPA, EDEK and possibly the Hunters – would enter parliament, while new parties were polling at 8-10 per cent. In the end, ALMA and Direct Democracy finished on 5-6 per cent, and none of the smaller parties made it. Before blaming individual scandals, should we not consider the bigger picture – namely that the big parties saw a rise? Did each small party lose only because of its own weaknesses, or did the big parties simply activate their machines in the final days, while smaller parties exposed glaring deficiencies on television, radio and podcasts, prompting voters to say: “Better the devil I know.”
· How easy is it ideologically for AKEL to vote Nicolas Papadopoulos as House President? Extremely difficult – but not impossible if the leadership judges it serves a broader strategic goal. The problem is that DIKO remains a key government partner of Christodoulides and is likely to be in the same or a similar right‑wing camp in 2028. For AKEL, voting Papadopoulos creates a serious contradiction. Yet parliamentary arithmetic sometimes produces strange alliances. If AKEL believes that such a vote blocks Annita Demetriou, prevents a DISY–DIKO alignment and creates a rift in the government camp, it might consider a tactical vote – though swallowing it would be hard for thousands of left‑wing voters who returned believing AKEL had reclaimed its principles.
· Former president Nicos Anastasiades’ post‑election comments in support of Christodoulides irritated DISY headquarters. Asked whether the results opened the way for Annita Demetriou to seek the presidency, Anastasiades warned against ‘adventures’ – without explaining what those might be, or whether he had even asked Demetriou if she was interested. He then added: “Christodoulides comes from the heart of the party; we must overcome resentments and act prudently.” Something is clearly brewing.
· In Doros, ancestral village of the First Lady’s family, DISY lost its long‑held lead. DIKO surged from 13 per cent in 2021 to 32 per cent, while ELAM also rose sharply. Why? According to local whispers, Philippa Karsera, de facto matriarch of the Christodoulides family, issued instructions to boost DIKO and ELAM. Thankfully, her influence seems confined to Doros.
· Finally, some DISY figures – names to be revealed in due course – were dismayed when the party exceeded 27 per cent. Along with President Christodoulides, they had banked on a DISY failure to present themselves as saviours offering the party a place in government. Instead, DISY stood on its feet, strengthened its position and left Annita Demetriou unchallenged. In the coming days, she will move ahead unencumbered to form policy teams across all areas, including the Cyprus problem.
