Internal party split at Democratic National Movement

Four senior officials of the Democratic National Movement (DEK) announced the withdrawal of their support for party president Andreas Themistocleous on August 7, 2026. The dissenters, including vice presidents Nikos Charalambous and Prokopis Prokopiou, general secretary Marios Thrasyvoulou, and general organizing secretary Andreas Sotiriou, accused Themistocleous of arbitrary, non-statutory, and opaque actions that destroyed trust within the party. They also clarified that the party has employed no staff and has lacked a press representative since May 25, 2026.

Andreas Themistocleous, a former ELAM member who founded DEK, dismissed the accusations as invalid, labeling the officials' actions as "ungrateful" and void of institutional power. He claimed the political bureau is larger than the six-member body cited by the dissidents and alleged that an "invisible far-right hand" may be behind the move ahead of presidential elections. Themistocleous further reported that he has been locked out of the party's digital platforms, including email and social media accounts, which are reportedly managed by one of the dissenting members. The conflict represents a significant power struggle within the movement, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of the party's governance and internal structures.