By ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ (GREEK) TÜRKÇE (TURKISH)
A deal with DIKO to remain House President and support a DIKO candidate in 2028? A deal with DIKO to support Nikolas for House President and DIKO to support a DISY candidate in 2028? Or no deal with anyone? And is DIKO available for a deal with a ‘divided’ Pindarou [Editor’s note: reference to address of DISY headquarters]? Or will it prefer the AKEL General Secretary’s invitation for broader cooperation up to 2028? Or will the voters spoil their plans in 2026, turning things upside down and sending the scenarios to the rubbish bin too…
Annita Demetriou took over the Democratic Rally at one of the most critical phases in its history. As this Column wrote the other day, this crisis seems to be much worse than the 2003 crisis.
The youngest politician in Cyprus to hold the second highest office in the Republic of Cyprus and later also the President of DISY, is being tested for a year now in managing a very difficult situation in the party, which has not yet settled down.
In her first political test ‘on the ground’, in the 2024 European elections, she managed to keep DISY in the lead but with very serious percentage losses, reaching its historic low of just 24.78%.
In less than 22 months she will have the second and most crucial test, that of the Parliamentary elections. And I refer to it as the ‘most crucial’ because, as is well known, every Parliamentary election determines Party Strength and the ranking of the parties on the [political] map, while at the same time it is always the harbinger of the next Presidential elections. Managing the Parliamentary election results and the political moves that follow to elect the House President influence – to a greater or lesser extent depending on the conditions and circumstances – the day after regarding the Presidential elections that follow.
It is in this process (election of the House President) that any nascent alliances are tested, it is in this process that the tendencies and intentions of cooperation become apparent, it is in this process that the Parties are called upon to ‘take sides’, in a very practical and not theoretical way.
So, Annita Demetriou has to manage several things with a view to 2028 where on the one hand the Presidential elections will take place but at the same time the internal party elections in DISY follow. And it is certain that a young politician would not want to serve just one term at the helm of Pindarοu, since that – politically – would constitute a failure.
She therefore has a crucial 45 months ahead of her.
First, she must try to bring calm to DISY so that it can pursue serious numbers in the 2026 Parliamentary elections.
The first big dilemma that the DISY President will face regarding the Parliamentary elections, which will be particularly ‘revealing’ as to the Strategy she will follow and which will also reveal what kind of DISY Annita Demetriou wants, is the following:
Will she include on the DISY ballot paper, ‘DISY-Christodoulides loyalists’ as well as ‘DISY supporters of the Popular Right’ so that on the one hand she can draw votes from the ‘Christodoulides reservoir’ and on the other hand stop the outflows to ELAM or repatriate voters who previously voted for ELAM?
Or will she prefer not to include persons who, if elected, might possibly turn into ‘intra-party agitators’?
The second big dilemma that Annita Demetriou will face, in less than 22 months, which is also Strategic, because it will concern both the future of DISY and Anita’s own future as a Political figure, is whether she will try to make alliances and collaborations for the House Presidency, with a view to the 2028 Presidential elections as well.
On this, Annita Demetriou does not have many options, but only three. Let’s look at them and then comment on the pros and cons.
First option. Annita Demetriou makes a deal with DIKO (and other parties that may possibly enter the House of Representatives) for her re-election as House President, with DISY supporting a DIKO candidate in the 2028 Presidential Elections in exchange.
Second option. Annita Demetriou makes a deal with DIKO (and other parties that may possibly enter the House of Representatives) for the election of Nikolas Papadopoulos as House President, with DIKO supporting a DISY candidate in the 2028 Presidential Elections in exchange.
Third option. She proceeds without alliances and hence without commitments and acts accordingly.
Before we look at the pros and cons of each option, we should note the important intervention of Annita Demetriou herself the other day (25/7), where she made sure to send a message from now that she is not concerned with 2028 and that she prefers the House Presidency. Specifically, in response to a student’s question on whether she intends to run for the Presidency of the Republic in the 2028 elections, Mrs. Demetriou replied in the negative, noting that “I am not concerned with 2028. I am concerned about my country doing well. I am concerned about knowledgeable people entering the House. I love the House. I very much enjoy legislative work. If someone asked me to choose between the House and the Presidency of the Republic, I would choose the House.”
A clear message. And this position without political insinuations means that Annita Demetriou made sure to send a message to Nikolas Papadopoulos that he can count on DISY for a 2028 deal, if a deal is reached in 2026 that will allow for her re-election to the House Presidency. This is the second message sent to Nikolas Papadopoulos, since a few days ago a message for possible cooperation with a view to 2028 was also sent by AKEL General Secretary, Stefanos Stefanou, through an interview of his.
On the basis of these, a lot clears up with regards to the above three options of Annita Demetriou.
Given the position of the DISY President to continue as the House President, the third option, (i.e. to proceed without alliances), has the big drawback of creating a significant risk that DISY loses the House Presidency and is left without alliances for 2028. Because if DISY does not form an alliance with DIKO, AKEL will.
The PRO of the 3rd option is that DISY remains free of commitments and dependencies and does politics in its own way, its own politics without compromises, alongside Society. Assuming it can convince Society (and this will become apparent through the results of the Parliamentary elections).
The 2nd Option (a deal with DIKO, with Nikolas Papadopoulos as House President and DIKO support for a DISY candidate in 2028), has the PRO that DISY creates a strategic partnership with a party with which, at least on the Economy, they have identical positions, and sets course for the 2028 Presidential elections either with Annita Demetriou or with Averof Neofytou or another person.
However, it would be naive to think that Annita Demetriou will ‘give up’ the House Presidency and not be a candidate herself for President of the Republic in 2028. Given her position (that she is not concerned with 2028 and prefers the House Presidency) this option is probably not in the picture for the DISY President.
The ‘CON’ of this option (strategic alliance with DIKO) is that DISY loses the House Presidency, and will have to compromise on various other policy issues (such as the Cyprus Problem for example). Moreover, it will sail towards 2028 with ‘hope as its boat’ [Editor’s note: reference to a song by Stella Greca titled, «Πάμε στο άγνωστο», ‘Let’s go into the unknown’]. That is, without any certainty of success for its candidate in the Presidential elections.
The 1st Option (a deal with DIKO with Annita Demetriou as House President and DISY support for a DIKO candidate in 2028), has two PROS. One for DISY and one for Annita herself. First, DISY continues to control the second highest office in the Republic. Second, Annita secures her political presence in the second highest ranking office until 2031 which means that for the internal party elections in June 2028, Annita will be able to reclaim the DISY Presidency from a position of power (largely irrespective of the outcome of the 2028 Presidential Elections), that is, until 2033. Because it would be a political oxymoron to have your current President, who will also be the House President as an internal party election candidate, and then elect another person to lead DISY. Unless, of course, things go topsy turvy.
CON. The big ‘con’ of this option, if favoured, is that DISY, as a Party of Power, would be ‘weakened’ by not fielding its own candidate in the presidential race for the first time in its history.
It is understood that Annita Demetriou’s options only exist as long as there is a willingness from the other side. That is, from DIKO. Because for DIKO, a partnership with AKEL may seem ‘clearer’ and ‘more straightforward’ than with DISY, which is still divided anyway, and furthermore, the Pindarou supporters will be divided amongst themselves again in 2028 since Nikos Christodoulides will be a candidate again.
P.S. I did not include the incumbent President of the Republic in the possible scenarios of the DISY President, as this is now considered very unlikely.
P.S.2 All this is being discussed behind the scenes within the parties. But all this seems possible ONLY if the parties maintain or improve their share of the vote. Because there is also the possibility that the Citizens will turn the 2026 elections upside down, in which case, it is very likely that all these [scenarios] will be thrown to the rubbish bin.
