Newsroom
Proposed changes to Cyprus’ electoral law, including a significant increase in campaign spending limits for parliamentary candidates, are nearing final approval ahead of the 2026 elections.
According to Kathimerini's Christos Bouris, the Interior Ministry has backed a proposal from the left-wing AKEL party to raise the current spending cap from €30,000 to €50,000 per candidate, with an additional €5,000 in personal expenses. The plan, spearheaded by AKEL MP Aristos Damianou and co-signed by Giorgos Loukaides, also sets a maximum national limit of €1 million for party or coalition campaigns.
The ministry further recommends applying these higher limits proportionally to coalitions of independent candidates, ensuring equal treatment across the political spectrum. A party running a full slate of 56 candidates could be allowed to spend up to €1.4 million, based on the new formula.
The amendments are part of a broader package of over 70 legislative texts grouped into 12 categories, which will be put to a vote in the House plenary on May 22.
Meanwhile, Damianou clarified that proposed changes will not affect the distribution of parliamentary seats across electoral districts, even with the inclusion of more than 85,000 new voters through automatic registration and voting eligibility for 17-year-olds.
He emphasized that a separate proposal by the center-right DISY party, aiming to revise how leftover votes are allocated in a second round of seat distribution, would not alter district-level representation. Instead, it seeks to address imbalances where parties with fewer votes sometimes win more seats.
Final decisions on the proposed reforms are expected later this week.
