Internal friction in Alma party regarding attacks on journalists

On Thursday afternoon, a controversy emerged during the Omega Channel show 'Enimerosi Tora' involving candidates from the Alma movement. During a televised debate between Odysseas Michaelides and Nikolas Papadopoulos, Alma candidate Irini Charalambidou publicly criticized journalist Stella Savva via social media. This incident prompted Maria Theristi, another Alma candidate from the Famagusta district, to publicly distance herself from the party's conduct. Theristi expressed regret regarding Charalambidou’s remarks and criticized a separate social media post by party official Nikoleta Tsikkini against ANT1 journalist Kyriakos Pomiloridis. Tsikkini had characterized the journalist's work as 'picturesque journalism of personal interests.' Theristi emphasized that politicians are expected to tolerate harsh criticism under ECHR jurisprudence and argued that targeting journalists contradicts political culture. She noted her discomfort regarding future media appearances while these internal conflicts persist and suggested that party officials should focus their criticism on political opponents rather than media personnel.