Amesi Dimokratia party faces backlash over support for House Speaker

On June 4, the Amesi Dimokratia party, led by Fidias Panayiotou, supported the re-election of Annita Demetriou as Speaker of the House of Representatives. The party's four members of parliament voted for her in the first round, securing her position with a total of 29 votes. This decision triggered significant public criticism on social media. Addressing the backlash on June 5, MP Dimitris Souglis defended the move, claiming that the criticism primarily comes from fake profiles and political opponents rather than the party's actual voters. Souglis explained that the party held meetings with all candidates for the speakership and chose Demetriou because she was the only one who studied their proposed agenda and committed to working toward its implementation. He emphasized that the party aims for practical results rather than abstention or performative politics. A viral video circulating online depicts Demetriou committing to specific policy issues raised by Amesi Dimokratia as a condition for their support.