The Roadmap Ahead of the Presidential Election, the Alluring Rise in Poll Numbers, and the Tacit Coalition
Under the leadership of Christos Christou, ELAM will enter the presidential race over the next few months. This will be preceded by internal party elections on October 24 and November 2, the first since the party’s founding, to elect the President and leadership through a comprehensive electoral convention.
As for the 2028 election, the movement does not seem to be in a hurry, as it awaits clarification of the situation surrounding the main contenders. This is not so much the case for Nicos Christodoulides as it is for the DISY and AKEL candidates.
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The end of political parties
Historically, ELAM has run independently in presidential elections with its own candidate; in fact, on the last two occasions, it fielded its leader, Christos Christou. The refusal of the other political forces to cooperate with it kept the party isolated for years.
A pivotal moment in breaking through this isolation came in 2021 when ELAM endorsed Annita Dimitriou. Since then, the party has shown a willingness to form alliances, while always ensuring that these do not cross its red lines.
With 10.9% of the parliamentary vote, ELAM established itself as the country’s third-largest political force, capable of playing a decisive role in the final election results, as well as in the election campaign. It is no coincidence, after all, that traditional parties—which in the past criticized Christos Christou and his leadership, labeling them an offshoot of Golden Dawn in Cyprus— are now open to cooperating with them.
Despite the fact that ELAM had for years been content with its policy of distancing itself from the country’s “establishment” forces, its now-expressed desire to participate in the executive branch is leading it to have second thoughts about the presidential race…
Christodoulides from the start?
For the first time in its 18-year history, ELAM is leaving open the possibility of supporting another candidate for the presidency of the Republic—while, of course, ruling out AKEL. The scenario of a partnership with Nicos Christodoulides has been taking shape for some time now, based on concrete facts. The majority of the party supported him in the second round of the 2023 election, and during his 3.5 years in government—with the exception of the Cyprus issue—they have rarely disagreed with him.
Its direct contact with the Presidency and the policy proposals it periodically submits to the government have now effectively turned ELAM into a tacit coalition partner, despite the fact that, so far, no formal agreement has emerged—at least not publicly.
Christos Christou views the President’s handling of a wide range of issues, including national matters, positively. From his handling of the migration issue and his communication strategy regarding the incident involving Mehmet Harmanji at the Cyprus Forum, to the strengthening of Cyprus’s deterrent capability—ELAM is thoroughly satisfied.
A potential collaboration between ELAM and Christodoulides will not end once the election campaign concludes, but will open a new chapter for the party. This is because, should the President of the Republic be re-elected, the conservative—as it calls itself—party will have a say, like any coalition partner, in the distribution of the spoils of power. This is to be expected, despite the fact that the President’s camp insists that President Christodoulides is not committing in advance to any ministerial posts or appointments.
Which way will the scales tip?
ELAM is not just any political party. No matter how hard it tries to become more organized and soften its hard-line stance, a significant portion of society still classifies it as far-right.
Any potential collaboration with Nicos Christodoulides—especially as early as this coming Sunday— will inevitably provoke reactions and serve as a campaign weapon in the arsenal of AKEL in particular, but possibly also of DISY, turning other political forces and a significant segment of society against the President’s bid for reelection.
On the other hand, ELAM’s—by no means negligible—10.9% will add voters to the President of the Republic’s “voting pool.” Undoubtedly, ELAM’s share of the vote could contribute to Christodoulides’ reelection as well as to his support from a large segment of the right. On the other hand, however, the president may be called upon to pay an unpredictable price both during the campaign and throughout his term in office.
Christos Christou also has reasons to be concerned, since if he does not run independently in the presidential election, he will have to convince a hard-line faction within his party that believes ELAM, with increased strength in Parliament, must continue down the path of autonomy, more than ever before, even if the election scenario does not gain traction. On the other hand, however, he would have the opportunity to participate in a government for the first time, helping to shape policies.
The prospect of the party’s support is understandably tempting to Nicos Christodoulides, who has the option of extending an invitation or accepting the overtures from a swing party that constitutes the third political political force in the country.
The President believes that if he is re-elected with the support of ELAM or any other party, he will have greater freedom of action and will be able to set his own boundaries with the coalition parties much more easily as he navigates his final term in office, without the stress and burdens currently caused by the need to be re-elected in 2028.
Nikos Christodoulides, however, finds support within ELAM, particularly among disgruntled former party officials such as MP Andreas Papacharalambous, who, although not a registered party member, has come out in support of the President of the Republic. In fact, his wife was included on the list of 100 supporters who signed in support of Nikos Christodoulides’ candidacy in 2023.
Past and Forgotten
Seeing the possibility of ELAM running as a non-autonomous party as a real prospect, the Democratic Alarm is attempting to build bridges of cooperation with the party’s right wing. Until her re-election as Speaker of the House, Anita Dimitriou and Christos Christou were at loggerheads. In fact, on more than a few occasions during the pre-election period, the ELAM president ruled out any possibility of supporting her candidacy for the presidency of the House.
However, the situation changed after Annita gave the “green light” for ELAM to take over the parliamentary Defense Committee. According to information from “Alpha on Sunday,” relations between the two parties have improved significantly, following mediation by high-ranking officials from both parties. Among them are Efthymios Diplaros and Evgenios Hamboullas, who previously served as a DISY member of parliament.
Despite the unease caused by the defection of Synagermikos officials to ELAM, the two parties are currently reassessing their relationship. However, the scope for their cooperation in the presidential election remains limited, though not entirely nonexistent.
