Cyprus parties receive €12.7 million in state funding ahead of parliamentary elections
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Political parties in Cyprus will this week receive €12.7 million in public funding, providing a significant financial boost ahead of the island’s next parliamentary elections.
The funds form part of the annual state grant allocated to political parties represented in the House of Representatives. Parliamentary elections are expected to be held on 24 May 2026, to elect 56 of the 80 members of the House of Representatives. The money is paid into parliament’s treasury before being distributed to eligible parties under a formula set out in law.
Of the total amount, €6.7 million is paid directly to the parties. Fifteen per cent of that sum is shared equally among parliamentary parties, while the remainder is allocated proportionally based on each party’s share of the popular vote in the 2021 legislative elections.
The two largest parties, the conservative Democratic Rally (DISY) and the left-wing AKEL, will receive the largest shares, amounting to approximately €1.98 million and €1.62 million respectively. They are followed by the Democratic Party (DIKO) with €890,000, far-right ELAM with €591,000, social democrats EDEK with €587,000, centrist DIPA with €546,000, and the Greens with €434,000.
In addition, around €300,000 will be allocated to the youth wings of the parliamentary parties, while €50,000 will cover contributions to political groupings within the European Union.
A further €100,000 is earmarked for activities carried out abroad to promote the Republic of Cyprus’ official positions on the long-running Cyprus problem. According to local media, parties are not required to provide detailed documentation on how these specific funds are spent.
Beyond the direct grants, an additional €5.6 million will be used to cover the salaries and benefits of parliamentary assistants employed by parties and individual lawmakers. There are currently 100 such assistants, though legislation is under consideration to raise that number to 115.
By law, parties must submit audited accounts detailing how they have spent state funding within ten months of the end of the relevant financial year.
However, questions remain over past public money. Political parties collectively still owe the state about €2.1 million in unused funds allocated for the 2018 presidential election campaign. That year, the government provided an additional €2.6 million to support campaign expenses, but most costs were covered through private donations to candidates, leaving the bulk of the public funds untouched.
Despite a legal opinion from the deputy attorney-general stating that the unused money should be returned, the funds remain outstanding. To date, the attorney-general’s office has not initiated civil proceedings to recover the amount.
During presidential election years, Cypriot political parties receive extra state funding in addition to their regular annual grants.
