Politics of Cyprus


Ministries

The Ministers form the Council of Ministers, including other members who may not be listed, which is an independent collective body with independent powers.
  1. Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Minister: Petros Xenophontos
  2. Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Minister: Giorgos Papanastasiou
  3. Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, Minister: Alexis Vafiades
  4. Ministry of Defence, Minister: Vasilis Palmas
  5. Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, Minister: Athena Michaelidou
  6. Ministry of Finance, Minister: Makis Keravnos
  7. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister: Constantinos Kombos
  8. Ministry of Health, Minister: Popi Kanari
  9. Ministry of Interior, Minister: Constantinos Ioannou
  10. Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Minister: Anna Prokopiou
  11. Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, ''Minister: Yiannis Panayiotou''

    Deputy Ministries

  12. Deputy Ministry of Shipping, Deputy Minister: Marina Hadjimanoli
  13. Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Deputy Minister: Costas Koumis
  14. Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Deputy Minister: Nicodemos Damianou
  15. Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Deputy Minister: Marilena Evangelou
  16. Deputy Ministry of Culture, Deputy Minister: Vasiliki Kassianidou
  17. Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Asylum, Deputy Minister: Nicholas A Ioannides

    Legislative branch

The House of Representatives '' has 59 members elected for a five-year term: 56 Greek Cypriot members chosen by proportional representation and 3 observer members representing the Maronite, Latin Catholic and Armenian minorities. 24 seats are allocated to the Turkish community, but are currently vacant.

Political parties

The Cyprus party political system is basically consisted by the classic four parties, named the "Classic Quartet" of the Cyprus political system traditionally refer to the right-wing Democratic Rally, the left-wing Progressive Party of Working People, the Centrist movement of Democratic Party, and the Social-Democratic movement of United Democratic Union of Centre.

Democratic Rally (DISY)

The centre-right Democratic Rally is the largest political party in Cyprus, currently holding 17 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives. Founded on July 4, 1976, by veteran politician Glafcos Clerides, DISY emerged from the split of the right-wing "Eniaion" into two opposing parties: DISY and DIKO.
DISY is a Christian democratic and liberal-conservative party, often described as the most Atlanticist, pro-NATO and pro-EU party in Cyprus. The party is currently led by Annita Demetriou, who also serves as the President of the Cypriot House of Representatives, making her the first woman to hold this office. Two former leaders of the party have served as Presidents of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides and Nicos Anastasiades. DISY is a member of the European People's Party.
Over the years, internal disagreements, particularly regarding the Cyprus issue, have led to the formation of three splinter parties: the European Party, European Democracy and Solidarity Movement. The current President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, was previously a member of DISY and served as Government Spokesman and Minister of Foreign Affairs under Anastasiades. Christodoulides sought DISY's nomination for the 2023 presidential election, but following accusations of undermining his campaign, he resigned from his ministerial role and launched an independent candidacy.

Notable Figures

Notable Former Party Members

Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)

The left-wing Progressive Party of Working People is the second largest political party in Cyprus, currently holding 15 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives. It was founded in 1926 with the name "Communist Party of Cyprus" fighting against fascism, imperialism and chauvinism, but also aiming at the independence of Cyprus from British rule.
AKEL is a Marxist–Leninist, eurosceptic and communist party, classified as left-wing to far-left. It is currently led by MP Stefanos Stefanou and it is a member of The Left in the European Parliament. One party leader, Demetris Christofias, served as the President of Cyprus for one term, without seeking re-election. Other presidents that were supported by AKEL were Archbishop Makarios III, Spyros Kyprianou, George Vassiliou and Tassos Papadopoulos.

Notable Figures

Notable Former Party Members

Democratic Party (DIKO)

DIKO is variously described as centrist, centre-left or centre-right; internationally, it is a member of the Progressive Alliance, which groups together mainly centre-left parties. DIKO claims to be the most loyal follower of the policies of Archbishop Makarios, the founding father of the Republic of Cyprus. It is currently led by Nikolas Papadopoulos, son of Tassos Papadopoulos, former President of Cyprus and of DIKO.
At its inception in 1976, DIKO maintained the right-wing ideology of its parent-party, Eniaion. However, in June 2003, under the leadership of Tassos Papadopoulos, DIKO announced a shift away from its traditional centre-right stance and declared an intention to move towards social democracy. The party has adopted a firm and hardline stance on the Cyprus problem, particularly in its strong opposition to the Annan Plan in 2004. While DIKO supports European integration and advocates a non-aligned foreign policy, it has also expressed support for Cyprus joining NATO's Partnership for Peace.
Two former leaders of the party have served as Presidents of Cyprus, Spyros Kyprianou and Tassos Papadopoulos. The current President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, although running as an independent, was supported by DIKO, making the party the largest in the current government.
Internal disagreements over the Cyprus problem led to the creation of the splinter party Democratic Alignment, in 2018, led by the former president of DIKO, Marios Garoyian.

Notable Figures

United Democratic Union of Centre (EDEK)

The EDEK Socialist Party, officially the Movement for Social Democracy, is a progressive centre, social-democratic party in Cyprus founded in 1969 by Vassos Lyssaridis with strong anti-imperialist and Greek-Cypriot nationalist roots. Initially inspired by Third-World socialism and non-alignment, it transitioned into a European-style social-democratic party while retaining its nationalist stance, often opposing federal solutions to the Cyprus problem. It consistently garners around 10% of votes, putting it in the 4th place of the Cypriot party list, maintaining a modest parliamentary presence.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it gradually transitioned into a European-style social-democratic party, joining the Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists, while maintaining nationalist positions on the Cyprus problem. In 2000 the party presintency passed to Yiannakis Omirou. In 2004, continuing its moderate centre path, involving also to the EU parliament elections, with several Members of the European Parliament, like Kyriakos Mavronikolas.
Two former leaders of the party have served as president of the Cypriot parliament, Dr Vassos Lyssaridis 1985-1991 and Yiannakis Omirou 2011-2016. Also in 2023 it supporter the current government.

Notable Figures

Latest elections

President

Parliament

European

Political pressure groups and leaders

  1. Cypriot Workers Union
  2. Union of Cypriots
  3. Revolutionary Trade Unions Federation
  4. Pan-Cyprian Labour Federation or PEO
  5. Eleftheria Citizens Initiative

    Administrative divisions

The island is divided into 6 administrative divisions: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Famagusta, and Kyrenia.

Exclaves and enclaves

Cyprus has four exclaves, all in territory that belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. The first two are the villages of Ormidhia and Xylotymvou. Additionally there is the Dhekelia Power Station, which is divided by a British road into two parts. The northern part is an enclave, like the two villages, whereas the southern part is located by the sea and therefore not an enclave —although it has no territorial waters of its own.
The UN buffer zone separating the territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriot administration from the rest of Cyprus runs up against Dhekelia and picks up again from its east side, off of Ayios Nikolaos. In that sense, the buffer zone turns the south-east corner of the island, the Paralimni area, into a de facto, though not de jure, exclave.