Politics of Cyprus explained

Ministries

The Ministers form the Council of Ministers, including other members who may not be listed, which is an independent collective body with independent powers. In bold is listed a Ministry that was not an original ministry, but created after London and Zürich Agreements.[1]

  1. Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Minister: Petros Xenophontos
  2. Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Minister: Giorgos Papanastasiou
  3. Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, Minister: Alexis Vafiades
  4. Ministry of Defence, Minister: Vasilis Palmas
  5. Ministry of Education and Culture, Minister: Dr Athena Michaelidou
  6. Ministry of Finance, Minister: Makis Keravnos
  7. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister: Constantinos Kombos
  8. Ministry of Health, Minister: Popi Kanari
  9. Ministry of Interior, Minister: Constantinos Ioannou
  10. Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Minister: Anna Prokopiou
  11. Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Minister: Yiannis Panayiotou[2]

Deputy Ministries

  1. Deputy Ministry of Shipping, Deputy Minister: Marina Hadjimanoli
  2. Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Deputy Minister: Costas Koumis
  3. Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Deputy Minister: Nicodemos Damianou
  4. Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Deputy Minister: Marilena Evangelou
  5. Deputy Ministry of Culture, Deputy Minister: Vasiliki Kassianidou
  6. Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Asylum, Depute Minister: Nicholas A Ioannides

Legislative branch

The House of Representatives (; ) has 59 members elected for a five-year term: 56 Greek Cypriot members chosen by proportional representation and 3 observer members representing the Maronite, Latin Catholic and Armenian minorities. 24 seats are allocated to the Turkish community, but are currently vacant.[3]

Political parties

Democratic Rally (DISY)

See main article: Democratic Rally. The centre-right Democratic Rally (DISY) is the largest political party in Cyprus, currently holding 17 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives.[4] Founded on July 4, 1976, by veteran politician Glafcos Clerides, DISY emerged from the split of the right-wing "Eniaion" into two opposing parties: DISY and DIKO.[5] [6]

DISY is a Christian democratic[7] [8] and liberal-conservative[9] party, often described as the most Atlanticist, pro-NATO and pro-EU party in Cyprus.[10] [11] The party is currently led by Annita Demetriou,[12] who also serves as the President of the Cypriot House of Representatives, making her the first woman to hold this office.[13] Two former leaders of the party have served as Presidents of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides (1993–2003) and Nicos Anastasiades (2013–2023).[14] DISY is a member of the European People's Party.[15]

Over the years, internal disagreements, particularly regarding the Cyprus issue, have led to the formation of three splinter parties: the European Party (EvroKo), European Democracy (EvroDi)[16] [17] [18] and Solidarity Movement.[19] [20] The current President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, was previously a member of DISY and served as Government Spokesman (2014–2018) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2018–2022) under Anastasiades. Christodoulides sought DISY's nomination for the 2023 presidential election, but following accusations of undermining his campaign, he resigned from his ministerial role and launched an independent candidacy.[21] [22] [23]

Notable Former Party Members

Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)

See main article: Progressive Party of Working People.

The left-wing Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) is the second largest political party in Cyprus, currently holding 15 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives. It was founded in 1926 with the name "Communist Party of Cyprus" fighting against fascism, imperialism and chauvinism, but also aiming at the independence of Cyprus from British rule.[24]

AKEL is a Marxist–Leninist, eurosceptic and communist party,[25] [26] [27] classified as left-wing[28] [29] to far-left.[30] It is currently led by MP Stefanos Stefanou and it is a member of The Left in the European Parliament.[31] One party leader, Demetris Christofias, served as the President of Cyprus (2008-2013) for one term, without seeking re-election. Other presidents that were supported by AKEL were Archbishop Makarios III, Spyros Kyprianou, George Vassiliou and Tassos Papadopoulos.

Notable Former Party Members

Democratic Party (DIKO)

See main article: Democratic Party (Cyprus). The Democratic Party (DIKO) is the largest centrist political party in Cyprus,[32] currently holding 9 out of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives. Like the Democratic Rally (DISY), DIKO was founded in 1976 following the split of the right-wing "Eniaion". Initially named the Democratic Alignment (DIPA), the party was led by Spyros Kyprianou.

DIKO is variously described as centrist,[33] [34] centre-left[35] or centre-right;[36] [37] [38] internationally, it is a member of the Progressive Alliance, which groups together mainly centre-left parties.[39] DIKO claims to be the most loyal follower of the policies of Archbishop Makarios, the founding father of the Republic of Cyprus.[40] It is currently led by Nikolas Papadopoulos, son of Tassos Papadopoulos, former President of Cyprus and of DIKO.[41]

At its inception in 1976, DIKO maintained the right-wing ideology of its parent-party, Eniaion. However, in June 2003, under the leadership of Tassos Papadopoulos, DIKO announced a shift away from its traditional centre-right stance and declared an intention to move towards social democracy.[42] The party has adopted a firm and hardline stance on the Cyprus problem, particularly in its strong opposition to the Annan Plan in 2004. While DIKO supports European integration and advocates a non-aligned foreign policy, it has also expressed support for Cyprus joining NATO's Partnership for Peace.[43]

Two former leaders of the party have served as Presidents of Cyprus, Spyros Kyprianou (1977-1988) and Tassos Papadopoulos (2003-2008). The current President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, although running as an independent, was supported by DIKO, making the party the largest in the current government.[44]

Internal disagreements over the Cyprus problem led to the creation of the splinter party Democratic Alignment (DIPA), in 2018, led by the former president of DIKO, Marios Garoyian.

Notable Former Party Members

Latest elections

President

See main article: 2023 Cypriot presidential election.

Parliament

See main article: 2021 Cypriot legislative election.

European

See main article: 2024 European Parliament election in Cyprus.

Political pressure groups and leaders

  1. Cypriot Workers Union
  2. Union of Cypriots (;)
  3. Revolutionary Trade Unions Federation (DEV-İŞ)
  4. Pan-Cyprian Labour Federation or PEO
  5. Eleftheria Citizens Initiative

Administrative divisions

See also: Districts of Cyprus. The island is divided into 6 administrative divisions: Nicosia (Lefkosia), Limassol (Lemesos), Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta (Ammochostos), and Kyrenia.

Exclaves and enclaves

Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotymvou. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave - although it has no territorial waters of its own.[45]

The UN buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side, off of Ayios Nikolaos (connected to the rest of Dhekelia by a thin land corridor). In that sense, the buffer zone turns the south-east corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave.

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Secretariat Council of Ministers . 2024-03-12 . www.cm.gov.cy.
  2. Web site: Council of Ministers Composition Προεδρία της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας . 2024-03-12 . www.presidency.gov.cy . el.
  3. Web site: Ltd . DW Dynamic Works . House of Representatives - Historical review . 2024-03-12 . House of Representatives . en.
  4. Web site: Elections: Cyprus Parliament 2021 . 2021-02-14 . IFES Election Guide.
  5. Web site: ΔΗΣΥ: Από τον Κληρίδη σε Δημητρίου, οι κυριότεροι σταθμοί 47 χρόνων . 2024-07-06 . tothemaonline.com . el.
  6. Web site: Γλαύκος Κληρίδης:Ο «πατέρας» του Δημοκρατικού Συναγερμού . 2024-07-06 . avant-garde.com.cy . en.
  7. Web site: Nordsieck . Wolfram . 2021 . Cyprus . Parties and Elections in Europe.
  8. Book: Slomp, Hans . Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics . 30 September 2011 . ABC-CLIO . 978-0-313-39182-8 . 690 . 22 August 2012.
  9. Web site: 2018 . Appendix A3: Political Parties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20221231075648/https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/round9/survey/ESS9_appendix_a3_e03_0.pdf . 2022-12-31 . 2021-10-11 . . 9th.
  10. Web site: Η κρίση του πολιτικού συστήματος και ο ΔΗΣΥ . 2024-09-08 . simerini.sigmalive.com . en.
  11. Web site: Cyprus - Political Parties . 2 April 2016.
  12. Web site: OmegaLive . 2023-03-11 . Εκλογές ΔΗΣΥ: Σαρωτική νίκη Αννίτας - Τα ποσοστά . 2023-03-11 . OmegaLive . en.
  13. Web site: 10 June 2021 . Cyprus parliament elects first madam speaker . 26 June 2021 . Knews.
  14. Web site: Polignosi . 8 Πρόεδροι και 1 Αντιπρόεδρος της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας . 2024-09-08 . www.polignosi.com.
  15. Web site: Party . EPP-European People's . EPP - European People's Party . 2024-09-09 . EPP - European People's Party . en-US.
  16. Web site: Κόμματά που ήλθαν, είδαν και απήλθαν . 2024-07-13 . Κόμματά που ήλθαν, είδαν και απήλθαν . en.
  17. Web site: Polignosi . Νέοι Ορίζοντες . 2024-07-12 . www.polignosi.com.
  18. Web site: Polignosi . Ευρωπαϊκό Κόμμα ΕΥΡΩΚΟ . 2024-07-12 . www.polignosi.com.
  19. Web site: 2015-11-21 . Theocharous leaves DISY, announces new movement (Updated) - Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151121170809/https://cyprus-mail.com/2015/11/20/68892/ . 2015-11-21 . 2024-07-13.
  20. Web site: 2015-11-20 . Αποχώρησε από το ΔΗΣΥ η ευρωβουλευτής Ελένη Θεοχάρους . 2024-07-13 . ProtoThema . el.
  21. Web site: 2022-01-09 . Παραιτήθηκε ο ΥΠΕΞ και διεκδικεί την Προεδρία . 2024-07-14 . Stockwatch - Παράθυρο στην Οικονομία . el.
  22. Χριστοδουλίδης για Αβέρωφ: "Απαίτησε να παραιτηθώ αλλά δεν θέλω να φτάσουμε στα άκρα" . 2022-10-23 . AlphaNews Live . 2024-07-14 . YouTube.
  23. Web site: 9 January 2022 . Κύπρος: Παραιτήθηκε από ΥΠΕΞ ο Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης – Εκδήλωσε ενδιαφέρον για τις προεδρικές εκλογές | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220109103239/https://www.kathimerini.gr/world/561661615/kypros-paraitithike-apo-ypex-o-nikos-christdoylidis-ekdilose-endiaferon-gia-tis-proedrikes-ekloges/ . 9 January 2022 . 13 January 2022 . www.kathimerini.gr.
  24. Web site: AKEL . AKEL . 2014-02-01 . 88 χρόνια ΚΚΚ- ΑΚΕΛ . 2024-09-08 . ΑΚΕΛ . el.
  25. Web site: Annual report 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131215212916/http://socialprotection.eu/files_db/1100/asisp_ANR11_Cyprus.pdf . 15 December 2013 . 27 August 2012.
  26. Web site: Annual report 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131215214049/http://socialprotection.eu/files_db/886/asisp_ANR10_Cyprus.pdf . 15 December 2013 . 27 August 2012.
  27. Helena Smith, Cyprus gets ready for a communist 'takeover', The Guardian, 2008
  28. Book: Papadakis . Yiannis . Peristianis . Nicos . Welz . Gisela . Divided Cyprus: Modernity, History, and an Island in Conflict . 18 July 2016 . Indiana University Press . 978-0-253-11191-3 . 80 . 25 October 2020 . en . This is admittedly a rough division that focuses on the largest parties in Cyprus: left-wing AKEL on the Greek Cypriot side....
  29. Uwe Backes, Patrick Moreau, Communist and Post-Communist Parties in Europe, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008,, p. 268 ss.
  30. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/ipa/05818.pdf Contemporary Far Left Parties in Europe From Marxism to the Mainstream? Luke March, 2008, P.4
  31. Web site: AKEL . 2024-09-09 . The Left.
  32. Web site: Τα στοιχήματα των κομμάτων του Κέντρου, ο κίνδυνος της χαμένης ψήφου και η σειρά κατάταξης . 2024-09-09 . Τα στοιχήματα των κομμάτων του Κέντρου, ο κίνδυνος της χαμένης ψήφου και η σειρά κατάταξης . en.
  33. Web site: Cyprus  - Political parties . European Election Database . Norwegian Centre for Research Data.
  34. Web site: 2018 . Appendix A3: Political Parties . . 9th.
  35. Book: Athanasiadis, Konstantinos . The European Parliament Elections of 2014 . 30 May 2014 . CISE . 978-88-98012-16-9 . De Sio . Lorenzo . 164 . Cyprus: Disapproval through abstention in EU’s remotest 'outpost' . 31 May 2019 . Emanuele . Vincenzo . Maggini . Nicola . https://web.archive.org/web/20170811122921/http://eprints.luiss.it/1344/1/EUROPEAN_PARLIAMENT_ELECTION_2014_DE_SIO_EMANUELE_MAGGINI.pdf . 11 August 2017 . dead.
  36. Book: Ker-Lindsay, James . Doing Business with the Republic of Cyprus . . 2005 . 978-1-905050-54-3 . Dew . Philip . 16 . Government, Politics and Accession to the European Union . https://books.google.com/books?id=q_cG61SQ8MAC&pg=PA16.
  37. Book: Neofytos Loizides . Transformations of the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot Right: Right-wing Peace-makers? . Beyond a Divided Cyprus: A State and Society in Transformation . Palgrave Macmillan . 2012 . 9780230338548 . 186.
  38. Book: Nathalie Tocci . Nathalie Tocci . Greece, Turkey and Cyprus . European Politic . Oxford University Press . 2007 . 125.
  39. Web site: el:Το ΔΗ.ΚΟ. συνδέεται με την "Προοδευτική Συμμαχία" . http://diko.org.cy/easyconsole.cfm/id/2643 . Democratic Party . 2 December 2013 . Nicosia . el . 24 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203035915/http://diko.org.cy/easyconsole.cfm/id/2643 . 3 December 2013 .
  40. http://countrystudies.us/cyprus/64.htm Eric Solsten, ed. Cyprus: A Country Study, US Congress
  41. Web site: Κόμμα . Δημοκρατικό . Παπαδόπουλος Νικόλας . 2024-09-09 . Δημοκρατικό Κόμμα . el.
  42. Book: Philip Dew . Doing Business with the Republic of Cyprus . GMB Publishing Ltd . 2005 . 978-1-905050-54-3 . 16–.
  43. Christophoros Christophorou (2009). The Evolution of Greek Cypriot Party Politics. The Government and Politics of Cyprus. Peter Lang. p. 90.
  44. News: Dalites . Frixos . 25 June 2023 . Το ΔΗΚΟ ως ρυθμιστικός πυλώνας της Κυβέρνησης – Οι υποψήφιοι για την αντιπροεδρία στον «Φ» . Philenews.
  45. Web site: Cyprus . 2006-06-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060629051443/http://geosite.jankrogh.com/cyprus.htm . 2006-06-29 .

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