Fidias Panayiotou launches campaign to demand 20 percent reduction in electricity prices

Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Direct Democracy party, Fidias Panayiotou, has initiated a public campaign targeting Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides to force a 20 percent reduction in national electricity costs. Announced in mid-August 2026, the campaign involves Panayiotou releasing daily social media videos intended to pressure the government into changing existing electricity agreements. He asserts that current profit margins in the energy sector, which he estimates at 20-30 percent, make a significant price cut feasible for consumers.

Panayiotou has compared this effort to his previous "challenge" involving Elon Musk, where he protested for three months to secure a meeting. He stated his readiness to continue this pressure for up to a year. While Panayiotou insists the executive branch has the power to act, critics, including some media reports, have questioned his methodology, noting that electricity pricing decisions are often regulated by the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) rather than being subject to unilateral presidential decree.

The initiative remains ongoing, with the European Parliament member vowing to persist until his demands are met, despite criticism regarding the factual accuracy of his claims and accusations from some sources that his motives are linked to social media engagement metrics.