Cyprus’s former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides will face career diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis in a second round of presidential elections next week, after neither candidate secured a majority on Sunday. To win, a candidate must obtain more than 50 percent of the vote and succeed two‑term President Nicos Anastasiades. Pre‑poll favourite Christodoulides leads a close contest with 32.04 percent, followed by Mavroyiannis at 29.58 percent. “Today, Cyprus spoke. It spoke clearly,” Christodoulides said late Sunday. “I’m ready to take on this great responsibility.” He added, “I remain true to my position for a government of broad acceptance. We don’t rule anyone out.”
Averof Neofytou’s future as leader of the governing conservative party DISY looks shaky after he placed third with 26.11 percent. Despite the incumbent’s endorsement, Neofytou is the first DISY candidate in the party’s history not to advance beyond the first round. The interior ministry reported a 72.03 percent turnout among more than 561,000 eligible voters, including 10,346 Cypriots abroad.
Analysts noted that Mavroyiannis, a 66‑year‑old technocrat backed by the communist party AKEL, surprised observers by overtaking Neofytou, 61, and narrowing the gap with the 49‑year‑old centrist‑backed Christodoulides. Voters turned out in large numbers for an election dominated by concerns over corruption and the economy, amid a deadlock over the island’s long‑standing division. Even before polls opened, Christodoulides was seen as the favourite. “If he goes to the second round, he is predicted to win,” said Andreas Theophanous of the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs.
Corruption and the pressures of irregular migration on public resources were top issues, while the decades‑old division of the island remains at an impasse. Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkish forces occupied the northern third in response to a Greek‑sponsored coup. “I expect the next president to do something about corruption and to settle the Cyprus question,” said 29‑year‑old civil servant Andreas Georgiadis after voting in Nicosia. The centrist parties supporting Christodoulides take a tough line on reunification talks, whereas his rivals are viewed as less hawkish. AKEL, which backs Mavroyiannis, champions reconciliation with Turkish Cypriots, and Neofytou is seen as a pragmatist and “dealmaker”.
“We got more votes than the previous general election, but it wasn’t enough,” Neofytou told supporters after the results. Mavroyiannis remained upbeat about the upcoming runoff: “We achieved our target… we are on the right track,” he said in Nicosia. Analysts say campaign pledges to root out corruption and improve the economy are key for the electorate. “Corruption is at the core of the discussion, the economy and daily life. The Cyprus problem is a secondary issue,” said Giorgos Kentas, associate professor of international politics and governance at the University of Nicosia. Although Christodoulides served in both Anastasiades administrations, he appears to have escaped the taint of corruption. “People know there is corruption; the explanation that Christodoulides gave seems plausible to them – that he had no direct responsibility, and they believe that,” Theophanous added.
“‘We are on autopilot and we don’t know where the plane is going,’” said 50‑year‑old car‑dealership employee Fotos Constantinou after casting his ballot. “We need a head of state who takes households and the working class into account. Cyprus is not just the Cyprus issue.” Kentas believes the winner will need to “work hard to re‑establish the country’s credibility on the world stage.” Despite inflation easing to 7.1 percent in January from 7.9 percent in December, high energy and food prices remain a concern. “Irrespective of who wins, there is the challenge of low salaries and high rents faced by the younger generation,” Theophanous noted.
A record 14 candidates—only two women—stood in the first round. The extreme right‑wing party ELAM secured fourth place with its leader Christos Christou, who garnered six percent, putting the party into the conversation about supporting the next president. Mavroyiannis, however, has previously dismissed any cooperation with extremists.
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