On July 23, 2026, Fidias Panayiotou, leader of the Direct Democracy party and Member of the European Parliament, announced he would not attend the scheduled National Council meeting convened by President Nikos Christodoulides. The meeting, set for July 24, aims to brief political leaders ahead of the upcoming visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Cyprus. Panayiotou stated that he lacks sufficient expertise on the Cyprus issue to advise the President and has appointed businessman Mike Spanos as his representative.

Panayiotou clarified that Spanos is not a member of his party but is a figure he respects for his knowledge of economic and diplomatic matters. This decision has sparked significant controversy among political circles. Lawyer Christos Triantafyllidis and MEP Costas Mavrides have publicly questioned whether the current institutional framework of the National Council allows for such proxy representation. They have suggested that the incident warrants a formal review of the council’s operational protocols to ensure appropriate standards for state advisory bodies are maintained.

While the meeting proceeded as planned on July 24, the debate over Panayiotou’s actions continues. Critics, including Triantafyllidis, have also raised questions regarding whether internal party procedures were followed before the appointment was finalized and have scrutinized the appropriateness of the delegation given the high-stakes nature of the diplomatic discussions regarding the future of Cyprus.