Fidias Panayiotou chooses to keep European Parliament seat over national parliament seat

Social media influencer Fidias Panayiotou has confirmed he will forgo the seat he won in the Cyprus national parliament during the recent elections. Instead, he will continue his current term as a Member of the European Parliament, which runs for another three years until the 2029 elections. His party, Direct Democracy Cyprus, secured four seats in the national parliament with 20,159 votes, representing 5.4 percent of the total. Following his decision to decline the national seat, the position will be filled by neurophysiologist Yiannis Laouris, the second-most popular candidate for the party in the Nicosia district. Initially, Panayiotou had expressed uncertainty regarding his dual mandate on election night, stating he needed time to consult with his team and family. His performance in the national election followed his successful 2024 European Parliament run, where he gained 71,330 votes or 19.4 percent. The next European Parliament elections are scheduled to be held in Cyprus on June 10, 2029.