The alarm in the second round of the election

How nikos anastasiadis's involvement sparked a debate about the possibility of exclusion, which certainly does not benefit the party

ALPHANEWSLIVE

How Nikos Anastasiadis’s involvement sparked a debate about the possibility of exclusion, which certainly does not benefit the party

Anita Dimitriou’s decision not to deny the possibility of supporting Nikos Christodoulides in the second round, while clarifying that the goal is, on the one hand, party unity and, on the other, preventing left-wing politicians from coming to power, sparked a series of heated debates. The first camp accused the DISY President of defeatism, which is unbecoming of the largest party. A defeatist attitude that essentially trips up both DISY and its candidate right from the start. The second interpretation, however, suggested that Anita Dimitriou is already thinking about her next moves, which will ensure not only her survival on the political chessboard but also her rise to power in 2033.

Anastasiades’ Influence

Quite a few people were surprised when Efthymios Diplaros, in the midst of an internal party crisis, a proposal that Nikos Christodoulides and the DISY candidate join forces. He set the condition that whoever fails to advance to the second round would support the other. This was a stance that certainly should not have been taken by the party leadership, nor by the person who, according to the party’s bylaws, is the head of the election campaign. Things became clear, however, when last week former President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades reiterated Diplaros’s statement, and it became clear that he was the architect of the preliminary agreement. This, combined with last week’s revelation in “Alpha on Sunday” that Nicos Anastasiades had endorsed Anita Dimitriou’s decision to withdraw, reinforces the sense that the Democratic Rally has already launched a second-round strategy with DISY out of the picture. And that, once again, Nicos Anastasiades is playing a role behind the scenes in all of this. There are quite a few party officials who believe that the former President of the Republic has strengthened his influence not only within the party and among its officials but also in shaping the narrative. Efthymios Diplaros’s statements largely echo what the former President thinks and says behind the scenes. Moreover, he is in constant contact with the President of DISY, and it should not be overlooked that a close associate of his from his time in government is now actively involved in the party’s communications team.

It should be recalled that in 2023, Nicos Anastasiades believed that DISY should have supported Nicos Christodoulides after Averof Neophytou was sidelined. This position was expressed by Ionas Nikolaou at a meeting held at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of SYNAGERMOS officials and members of the cabinet, which provoked a reaction from Mr. Neophytou and other officials. Indeed, the trend toward “going beyond” party lines and supporting Andreas Mavrogiannis in the second round is telling. This trend has now subsided. In fact, quite a few members of the “moving beyond” faction have stated that this decision had personally cost them dearly. Either because a large segment of DISY’s base harbors anti-AKEL sentiments or because they wanted to be part of the ruling coalition. It is by no means a coincidence that, during the pre-election period, the party leadership did not rule out behind the scenes —whether because they believed it or for tactical reasons—the possibility of joining the Christodoulides government if the election results were not in their favor. Nor is it a coincidence that officials close to Nicos Anastasiades spoke immediately after the election about the scenario of supporting Nicos Christodoulides.

The Kasoulides Case

However, it’s one thing to consider a second-round strategy and quite another to let it be discussed at length. After all, a glance at what unfolded in other election campaigns is enough to realize that no candidate reveals their hand regarding what will unfold in the second round. We saw this in the case of Giorgos Lillikas, who in both election campaigns appeared confident of advancing to the second round; we saw it in the case of Achilleas Dimitriadis, who remained noncommittal, as well as in the case of Nikolas Papadopoulos in 2018. The most telling example, however, is the 2008 presidential election. Yiannakis Kasoulides, who was trailing in third place according to the polls, never publicly discussed such a scenario. In fact, when, a few days before the first round of voting, party officials asked him to meet with Tassos Papadopoulos to reach a preliminary agreement on mutual support, Mr. Kasoulides refused to engage in this process.

The damage

So, why is this happening today? There are quite a few who believe this is a tactical move, that DISY feels confident it will advance to the second round and is thus trying to capture the Christodoulides vote. However, if we take into account the fact that Nikos Christodoulides’s base spans from the center-right to the far right, and if we consider the anti-AKEL narrative, then DISY will not need to make a special effort to win them over. On the contrary, if anyone stands to lose from discussing the second round at this stage, it is DISY itself, for two reasons.

Voters who disagree with Christodoulides’ candidacy are alienated from the party from the outset and from the possibility of supporting the party’s candidate

More importantly, however, it reinforces the perception that DISY has no alternative governance proposal other than that of Nikos Christodoulides. In other words, at a time when it is trying to convince people that the policies of the two parties differ, this stance gives the impression that the approach to governance will be the same

This very issue—where the Democratic Alarm differs from Nikos Christodoulides’ policies—is something that will be a major focus of the pre-election campaign. And it is particularly difficult for Democratic Alarm officials to convince the public that if DISY comes to power, its policies will differ from those of the Christodoulides administration. It is precisely in this context that Anita Dimitriou has already made her own decisions. If the DISY candidate manages to advance to the second round, she will be saved. But if he is eliminated, her only salvation is a deal with Nicos Christodoulides that would bring DISY into government. Thus, party officials who might have their eyes on her position will be satisfied with ministerial posts, while she herself will be able to build bridges—given that Nikos Christodoulides will not be able to run again—for 2033.