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As Cyprus approaches the 2026 parliamentary elections, the country’s political arena remains remarkably fragmented. According to the state registry, 25 political parties and movements are currently registered and active. Based on recent announcements, at least two additional parties are expected to join before the elections.
Fewer than 600,000 Cypriot citizens are eligible to vote, excluding Turkish Cypriots living in the occupied areas who hold Republic of Cyprus identification. In practical terms, this means that each active party represents, on average, around 21,000 voters, assuming all 27 anticipated parties are formally registered by election day.
Over the past two years, eight new political entities were added to the official registry. One of these, ELPIS (Free Citizens Strong Alliance), was removed less than nine months after its registration. The seven remaining newcomers include:
- Kinima EnErgo (I Act Movement)
- Ultra-Leftist Resistance Communism
- Kinima Ethniki Drasis (National Action Movement)
- Cyprus Greens
- Democratic National Movement
- Democratic Change
- ALMA – Citizens for Cyprus
Between May and October 2025, additional parties joined the registry, including DEK led by Andreas Themistocleous, DIMAL of Christos Clerides, and ALMA of Odysseas Michaelides. Looking ahead, more political initiatives are expected: Fidias Panagiotou is preparing Direct Democracy, and Christoforos Tornaritis has announced a new movement, Sikou Pano. Other projects may also emerge as the election approaches.
For context, the last parliamentary elections in 2021 recorded 557,589 voters, while the 2023 presidential elections included 561,273 registered voters. Official figures for the 2026 elections have not yet been released, but the total is expected to be higher.
With such a large number of parties relative to the electorate, Cyprus’ political scene raises questions about the balance between representation and fragmentation, each party effectively serving a small slice of the voting population.
