Fidias Panayiotou Explained

Fidias Panayiotou
Honorific Suffix:MEP
Office:Member of the European Parliament
Term Start:16 July 2024
Constituency:Cyprus
Birth Date:10 April 2000
Birth Place:Meniko, Nicosia, Cyprus[1]
Citizenship:Cypriot
Party:Independent
Module:
Embed:yes
Channel Direct Url:@FidiasPanayiotou
Channel Display Name:Fidias
Years Active:2019–present
Subscribers:2.6 million
Views:645 million
Silver Button:yes
Gold Year:2023
Gold Button:yes
Stats Update:1 August 2024
Country:Cyprus
Unit:Underwater Demolition Team
Branch:Cyprus Navy
Allegiance:Cyprus

Fidias Panayiotou (el|Φειδίας Παναγιώτου; born 10 April 2000[2] [3]), known mononymously as Fidias, is a Cypriot politician[4] and YouTuber who was elected as an independent MEP in the 2024 European Parliament election.[5]

Personal life

Fidias was born in Meniko, in the Nicosia District of Cyprus.[6] During his mandatory military service, he served in the Cypriot Underwater Demolition Team.[7] He has a girlfriend named Styliana.[8]

Career

YouTube career

Fidias began posting videos on YouTube in 2019.[9]

On October 8, 2022, Fidias began on a mission to hug Elon Musk after having hugged 99 other celebrities.[10] While waiting outside Twitter's headquarters for Musk to appear almost everyday, he encouraged his followers to "spam" Elon's mother, Maye Musk, with his request, which she described as "malicious".[11] On January 21, 2023, Musk met and hugged Fidias in the headquarters building.

In January 2023, Fidias announced on Cypriot television his intention to interview every candidate running for the 2023 Cypriot presidential election.[12] He hosted 12 out of the 14 candidates; with Nikos Christodoulides and Andreas Mavroyiannis, the two front-runners, not accepting his invitation.

, he had more than 2.66 million subscribers on YouTube.[13]

Fare evasion videos

In September 2023, Fidias uploaded a video of himself freeriding on the Bengaluru Metro in India.[14] The management of the train service responded that they would be filing a criminal case against him.[15]

On October 20, 2023, he continued with a video on travelling across Japan for free with three other YouTubers. He travelled on public transportation modes such as buses and trains while skipping on paying for his fare through various means, and begging for cash. He also passed himself off as a guest of a hotel that he was not staying at to help himself to its breakfast. He was criticized for his actions in the video, and made an apology video, which was subsequently deleted. YouTube also removed this video along with four others, including a 2022 video on travelling across United Kingdom for free, for violating its community guidelines.[16] [17]

Political career

European Parliament (2024–present)

In April 2024, Fidias announced his candidacy to the European Parliament, running on an anti-partisan platform[18] and stating his goal to promote youth involvement in politics. As a TikToker with no prior political experience, he was widely regarded as a novelty candidate, attracting significant media attention and energizing younger voters.[19] He emphasised education as his priority, aiming to enhance schools by eliminating exams and promoting self-education.[20] He also acknowledged the significance of artificial intelligence and Bitcoin.[21] Fidias finished third with 19.4% of the popular vote, topping the polls and securing a seat in the European Parliament.[22] [23]

During his first days in office he let people vote in social media polls for his party affiliation and voting decisions as MEP.[24] [25] On June 9, Panayiotou let people vote in a poll on TikTok if he should join the Greens–European Free Alliance or remain independent.[26] He claims that 10% of the entire population of Cyprus voted in the poll and 76% voted that he would remain independent which he then did.[27] He calls his method a more "direct democracy with the people." In July 2024, he voted against Ursula von der Leyen remaining the president of the European Commission, in accordance with the results of a poll he conducted on his X account.[28]

Fidias was heavily scrutinised by media in both Greece and Cyprus for meeting with Turkish Cypriot influencer Ibrahim Beycanli (known by his online alias Urban Cypriot) and saying he was only taught "half the history" regarding the Cyprus problem. Their collaboration was made public on 14 August 2024, the 50-year remembrance of the second Turkish invasion, a day also marked by Solomos Solomou's killing at the hands of Turkish occupation forces in 1996.[29] [30] [31] Within the Turkish Cypriot community, the video received mixed reactions.[32]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: From Meniko to LA – Fidias Panayiotou . Από το Μένοικο στο LA – Φειδίας Παναγιώτου . 27 January 2023 . YouTube . Greek . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230421214223/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60f8T4xyI-A&list=RDCMUCHah_OFusOgrNvQQa1k8BQw . 21 April 2023 .
  2. Web site: Cebeci . Nazlican . Chi è Fidias Panayiotou? Età, nazionalità e numero di follower dello youtuber e influencer eletto al Parlamento europeo da indipendente . it . 2024-10-30.
  3. Web site: Solutions . BDigital Web . Youtube star to political contender with Elon Musk . 2024-05-29 . knews.com.cy.
  4. News: Yong . Nicholas . 25 October 2023 . Fidias: YouTuber sorry for freeloading stunt video in Japan . 31 October 2023 . .
  5. Web site: Kades . Andria . Cleaver . Tom . 2024-06-09 . Fidias in third place, exit polls show . 2024-06-10 . . en.
  6. Web site: Polignosi . Παναγιώτου Φειδίας . 2024-07-05 . www.polignosi.com.
  7. Web site: Reddy . Naveen . 2023-12-01 . Fidias Panayiotou - Detailed Biography . 2024-07-05 . youthmotivator4life.com . en-US.
  8. We Traveled Across Europe to Test Our Relationship . 2024-09-19 . Fidias . 2024-09-25 . YouTube.
  9. Web site: Tan . Kwan Wei Kevin . A YouTuber is getting dragged for saying he traveled across Japan for 'free' by begging and hiding in train toilets to hitch free rides . 2023-10-28 . https://archive.today/20241030153605/https://www.businessinsider.com/youtuber-slammed-free-japan-trip-bus-train-ticket-2023-10 . 2024-10-30 . Insider . en-US.
  10. Web site: Dodgson . Lindsay . 2023-01-23 . Elon Musk finally met the superfan who camped outside Twitter's headquarters for months hoping to hug him . 2023-10-28 . Insider . en-US.
  11. Web site: Lloyd . Andrew . 2022-12-06 . A YouTuber has camped outside Elon Musk's offices for 47 days to try and convince the Twitter CEO to hug him . 2023-10-28 . Insider . en-US.
  12. Web site: Φειδίας Παναγιώτου: Ο Κύπριος TikToker ήρθε στο νησί για να κάνει podcast με τους υποψήφιους Προέδρους - Βίντεο . 2024-03-25 . tothemaonline.com . el.
  13. News: Wong . Vicky . 10 June 2024 . YouTube prankster voted in as Cyprus MEP . 2024-06-11 . . en.
  14. Web site: 2023-09-23 . YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou lambasted for sneaking a free ride on Bengaluru Metro . 2023-10-28 . The Indian Express . en.
  15. News: 2023-09-24 . YouTuber jumps Bengaluru Metro gate, BMRCL says will file criminal case . The Times of India . 2023-10-28 . 0971-8257.
  16. Web site: Fidias Panayiotou: YouTuber apologises for fare dodging, begging and eating without paying in Japan . 2023-10-28 . Sky News . en.
  17. Web site: 2023-10-24 . Railway operator investigates free-riding foreign YouTubers . 2023-10-28 . . en.
  18. News: 2024-04-24 . Υποψήφιος για να γίνει ο ίδιος η αλλαγή που θέλει, είπε ο Φειδίας Παναγιώτου . 2024-05-25 . Cyprus Times . el.
  19. Web site: 2024-06-02 . In Cyprus, a TikToker makes political waves ahead of the European election . 2024-11-15 . POLITICO . en-GB.
  20. Όλα είναι κατορθωτά - Φειδίας Παναγιώτου YOUth Inspire E54 . 2024-03-15 . Netcast Zone . 2024-05-25 . YouTube.
  21. News: 2024-04-23 . Υποψήφιος ευρωβουλευτής ο Φειδίας – Οι θέσεις του (ΒΙΝΤΕΟ) News . 2024-04-23 . Sigmalive.
  22. News: Έσπασε τα κοντέρ ο Φειδίας, κατέρριψε το ιστορικό ρεκόρ του Κασουλίδη-Πόσους ψήφους έλαβε ο κάθε Ευρωβουλευτής . 2024-06-10 . Reporter Cyprus . en.
  23. News: Τα τελικά αποτελέσματα των Ευρωεκλογών - Τα ποσοστά των κομμάτων . 2024-06-10 . Offsite . en.
  24. News: Oto . Wakaba . 2024-07-11 . Nuisance YouTuber Elected to European Parliament . 2024-07-14 . Tokyo Weekender.
  25. Panayiotou . Fidias . fidias0 . C9XCjaqPgrL . Ursula von der Leyen, Yes or No? . 13 July 2024 . 17 July 2024.
  26. News: Fidias Panayiotou to decide on his vote on von der Leyen through online poll . 17 July 2024 . . 17 July 2024.
  27. Panayiotou . Fidias . fidias0 . C9KnyzxMuUP . How I Am The Most Democratic Politician . 8 July 2024 . 17 July 2024.
  28. Web site: 2024-07-17 . YouTuber MEP pledges to vote according to his followers' opinions . 2024-08-04 . euronews . en.
  29. Web site: 2024-08-14 . Φειδίας Παναγιώτου: Αντιδράσεις για το νέο του βίντεο με Τουρκοκύπριο influencer - «Μου δίδαξαν τη μισή ιστορία και να σε μισώ» . 2024-10-09 . el.
  30. Web site: 2024-08-14 . Σάλος με βίντεο του Φειδία Παναγιώτου: «Με δίδαξαν τη μισή ιστορία, με χειραγώγησαν να σε μισώ» λέει σε Τουρκοκύπριο . 2024-10-09 . www.dnews.gr . el-gr.
  31. Web site: tanea.gr . 2024-08-14 . Έξαλλοι στην Κύπρο με τον Φειδία: «Μου δίδαξαν τη μισή ιστορία και να σε μισώ» λέει σε Τούρκο Influencer . 2024-10-09 . ΤΑ ΝΕΑ . el.
  32. Web site: Lyritsas . Loucianos . 20 August 2024 . Cypriot YouTuber MEP stirs debate about island's division – DW – 08/20/2024 . 2024-11-15 . dw.com . en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fidias Panayiotou".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.