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MEP and leader of the political movement Direct Democracy, Fidias Panayiotou, has triggered discussion online after posting a video questioning how much Cypriot MPs actually earn.
“Do you know how much money members of parliament earn in Cyprus?” he asked his followers, speaking in a dramatic tone of anger and surprise.
He went on to say that after entering Parliament, he was surprised by what he described as the full level of payments MPs receive.
“After we got into Parliament and learned it firsthand, I was shocked because there’s a lot of money that MPs receive that we didn’t know about,” he said. “In this video, we’re going to learn everything.”
Panayiotou then listed what he described as the monthly income of MPs, including salary, allowances, and expenses.
According to him, MPs receive a net salary of €5,300, plus a €2,000 representation allowance, a €500 cost-of-living adjustment on that allowance, €1,000 for secretarial services and €700 for travel expenses.
He said all together, this amounts to around €9,500 per month.
What Treasury figures actually show
However, official data published by the Treasury of the Republic tells a different story.
As of January 1, 2026, the total gross monthly remuneration of an MP is €7,911. This includes a basic salary of €4,693 and allowances totalling €3,218, broken down into a €1,709 representation allowance, a €484 cost-of-living adjustment on that allowance, and a €1,025 secretarial services allowance.
These figures are gross, not what MPs take home.
What MPs actually receive after deductions
From that amount, several mandatory deductions are made.
MPs pay €538 into the pension and gratuity scheme, €237 to the Widows and Orphans Fund, and €210 to the General Healthcare System (GeSY). In addition, €1,460 is deducted monthly in income tax.
After all deductions, the net monthly salary comes to €5,466.
“No control over spending,” he says
In his video, Panayiotou also questioned whether MPs are properly monitored in how they use public funds.
“In Cyprus, there is no control over how the money is spent and whether it is actually spent for the intended purposes or simply pocketed,” he said.
He added that his political movement intends to push for changes in how the system works.
“We will try to change, at least a little, the way MPs spend their money and the way the system operates,” he said.
