Factsheet European Elections of 2024 in Cyprus The European Elections of 2024 in Cyprus marked a significant shift in the political landscape of the country. One of the most notable outcomes of these elections was the election of 24-year-old TikToker and YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou as a Member of the European Parliament(MEP). Garnering 19.4% of the vote, Panayiotou’s success is remarkable not only due to his background but also because he came close to the percentages of the two major parties, Democratic Rally(DISY-EPP) and Progressive Party of Working People(AKEL-GUE), and outperformed several historical and established parties, such as the Democratic Party(DIKO-S&D) and the Movement for Social Democracy(EDEK-S&D). THE FINAL RESULTS INDICATE THE FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTION OF VOTES AND SEATS (see Graph 1 and 2): DISY: 24.7%(2 seats) AKEL: 21.7%(1 seat)[-1 seat compared to 2019] Fidias Panayiotou: 19.4%(1 seat) ELAM: 11.2%(1 seat) DIKO: 9.6%(1 seat) Graph 1: Seats for Each Party in 2019 and 2024 2.0 Seats 2019 Seats 2024 Fidias Panayiotou’s unexpected elec­toral success deprived AKEL of one of its traditionally held seats. More­over, the rise of the far-right National Popular Front(ELAM-ECR), which secured its first seat in the European Parliament, contributed to the shifting political dynamics. This shift resulted in EDEK losing its representation, a significant change for the second old­est party in Cyprus. 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 DISY AKEL DIKO EDEK ELAM Fidias DEPA Greens Others Volt Fidias Panayiotou success is particu­larly noteworthy due to several factors. Firstly, Panayiotou, managed to reso­nate with a considerable portion of the electorate, especially the younger de­mographic. His ability to attract 19.4% of the vote is astonishing, considering he had no prior political experience or an established party apparatus sup­porting him. Panayiotou’s campaign strategy relied heavily on his social media presence, where he leveraged platforms like TikTok and YouTube to reach out to potential voters. Party Graph 2: Percentage of Parties and Candidates in 2019 and 2024 EP Elections 30 2019 2024 Seats 20 Percentage Points 10 0 29 24.8 27.5 21.5 13.8 9.7 DISY AKEL DIKO 8.2 11.2 ELAM 0 19.4 Fidias 10.6 5.1 EDEK 3.8 2.2 DEPA 3.8 2 Others 3.3 1.3 Greens 0 2.9 Volt