With the 2026 parliamentary elections just around the corner, Odysseas Michaelides, the leader of “Alma,” reached out to the Left regarding a potential alliance for the 2028 presidential elections. Appearing on the major political leaders’ debate on Alpha Cyprus and the program “Countdown” with Emilia Kenevezou, and when asked what he would do regarding the Speaker of the House, Mr. Michaelides described the candidacy of Irini Charalambidou as an excellent choice if she is elected to the new Parliament.

At the same time, he spoke of a “bloc formation” between the government and the “heirs of Nicos Anastasiades,” making it clear that he would not support the candidacies of Annita Dimitriou, Nikolas Papadopoulos, and Christos Christou. He also expressed his appreciation for a nine-party Parliament, leaving the door open for cooperation with Volt Cyprus as well.

READ ALSO: Parliamentary elections with an eye on the presidential race: Where did Odysseas cast his net during the big Alpha TV debate?

Anita Dimitriou, President of the Democratic Alarm, expressed deep concern over the lack of positions, proposals, and ideologies from new political formations that appear set to secure seats in the House of Representatives. She noted that political positions—such as those on the Cyprus issue, defense, the economy, investments, and technology—contribute to synergies and collaborations that help secure majorities in the House.

He did not hesitate to point out to the leader of Direct Democracy, Fidias Panagiotou, that “he who has a fly on his head is the one who swats at it,” when Panagiotou stated that “in Russia and Ukraine, 80% of the people who die are killed by drones, and we don’t have drones.” He explained that he does not raise questions to insult anyone, but to elicit specific answers.

“It’s not scaremongering to worry about the future of your country because we have lived through periods of insecurity and destabilization.”

READ ALSO: “The pot calling the kettle black”: What issues did Annita say she’s worried about during Alpha TV’s big debate

A post by an ELAM candidate sparked controversy, with Stefanos Stefanou and Christos Christou crossing swords, citing references to Kasidiaris, EOKA B, Stalin, and Ceausescu. It is recalled that an ELAM candidate proposed the establishment of an independent authority to monitor parties such as AKEL, Volt, and Direct Democracy.

Mr. Stefanou brought the issue to the table for discussion, stating that citizens need to see these things to remember the dangers we face when we talk about the far-right, noting that such practices are not part of democracy. When asked to comment on the post, Mr. Christou stated that ELAM does not endorse such policies.

“The candidate’s personal stance in no way reflects ELAM. We believe that in a democracy, everyone or every political group can express themselves freely, without restrictions, and from there on, the citizens will judge them.”

And he launched an attack against Mr. Stefanos, saying that “in 2008–2013, all it took was a public statement or a post for the police to come to your home, seize your computer, and take you to a holding cell, and I have many, many examples, because the left-wing government at the time simply would not tolerate dissent.”

“Therefore, from our perspective, we do not espouse any totalitarian ideology. On his part, however, Mr. Stefanou espouses an extremely totalitarian ideology, and of course the descendants of Stalin, Lenin, and Ceausescu have no right to lecture on democracy; it’s as simple as that.”

Responding to Mr. Christou, Mr. Stefanou wondered what to say to “Kasidiaris’s henchmen and those who give Nazi salutes.”

“What should I say to those with a history of far-right extremism? People know the far right and fascism; we’ve lived through it, and unfortunately we see their legacy in the crescent moon of Pentadaktylos. I have nothing to say. Nor do we accept lessons from a neo-Nazi group and everything it stands for. We are proud of our history and our struggles, first and foremost to defend Cyprus and democracy; and we were there at Pentadaktylos and in Kyrenia, and we defended the Presidential Palace when the Junta, together with EOKA B, was attacking it, my dear Mr. Christou.”

READ ALSO: Stefanou VS Christou: “Kasidiaris’s henchman” and “the descendants of Stalin and Ceausescu”

The statement by DIKO President Nikolas Papadopoulos to the President of Direct Democracy, Fedia Panagiotou, was scathing. Mr. Papadopoulos referred to Mr. Panagiotou’s work in the European Parliament, questioning what he has accomplished over the past two years.

“Because I’ve visited the European Parliament’s website and haven’t found a single legislative proposal, not a single report or role as rapporteur. Compare the websites of other MEPs to see what they’ve done and what Mr. Panagiotou has done.”

Meanwhile, during a discussion on Cyprus’s economy, Mr. Papadopoulos expressed his concerns about the future in a dysfunctional parliament, while he didn’t fail to mention regarding Phidias that “TikTok is fine, but you can’t eat it.”

“We want this growth to continue; we are concerned that a dysfunctional parliament will lead us back into turmoil. Parliament isn’t just about conspiracy theories, people’s courts, and TikTok. TikTok is fine, but you can’t eat it. These are the proposals we need to move the country forward.”

READ ALSO: “TikTok is fine, but you can’t eat it”: Nikola’s remark to Fidia that sparked controversy

The leader of Direct Democracy, taking the floor and commenting on the issue of ineffectiveness in the European Parliament, noted that “it is true because I am an independent. No independent has the ability to do what Mr. Papadopoulos said,” and added that for this reason, an effort is being made to form a political group in the European Parliament, of which he will be the leader.

When asked what he has accomplished in the European Parliament, Mr. Panagiotou stated that “we’ve done a lot of things in the EP,” citing the debate on foreclosures as an example and adding that “we’ve done some things; we can do more if we have a party in the EP.”

READ ALSO: Christou responds: Is it better for a child to grow up with an abusive family or with a same-sex couple?