The impasse, discussions about the party’s future within the government, and the potential successors

More than 40 days have passed since EDEK’s defeat in the parliamentary elections. This period offers an opportunity for reorganization and rethinking. This did not happen for EDEK, as efforts to promote unity and collective decision-making failed at the party’s convention last Sunday.

Vassos Lyssarides’ party remains deeply divided, searching for a leadership that will restore its former glory or at least —so as not to foster false hopes—keep EDEK at the forefront of developments in the country. Neither appeals to emotion nor references to the legacy of its founder have proven capable of erasing the mistakes and introversion of the past decade.    

The hourglass is running out; despite the fact that EDEK is in a privileged position compared to other parties that failed to enter parliament, precisely because of its financial reserves, it seems to be moving forward with fatigue and without a plan. But for how long will the rent from the party’s privately owned buildings and the assets of Vassos Lysaridis be able to sustain an organized group that lacks a compass for the future—one in which there are fundamental disagreements on matters of principle with certain officials and members driven by personal agendas?   

Last Sunday clearly demonstrated the reluctance of a segment of officials and members to rebrand the party. The effort made by the leadership ultimately failed to convince them, despite the fact that some view the decision to revoke all expulsions of party members since 2015—with very few.

What Led Up to the Conference

Shortly before the meeting of the EDEK Central Committee on June 7, two groups emerged: One calls itself the “Struggle Initiative for the Reconstruction of EDEK,” led mainly by young people, and the other consists of members of the party’s youth organization.

Both groups have established a strong presence on social media, with a shared demand that the leadership step down and that a new generation take the reins. Both groups called on all members without exception—regardless of whether they were members of the Central Committee—to attend the meeting.  

As a result, the Central Committee meeting on June 7 was marked by tension, and in the end, following pressure, even non-members were allowed not only to attend but also to ultimately take the floor.      

From that day on, an informal confrontation began, according to party sources. A group of officials, dissatisfied with the emerging trend, expressed the view that at the meeting scheduled for the end of June, only members of the Central Committee should be allowed to attend. On the other hand, the two groups, supported by individual officials, once again called on everyone to attend the Central Committee meeting.

Faced with the risk of a real outbreak of conflict, EDEK President Nikos Anastasiou decided, instead of convening a meeting of the Central Committee, to convene an emergency pan-Cypriot Congress, as took place on July 5, so that as many members as possible could participate.

The tension was not “checked”

It was decided that the conference would be open to all members, with the restriction that those not registered in the membership roster, as well as those who were candidates with other political groups or had been active in the pre-election campaign with other parties,—not being eligible to vote in the event of a ballot.  

According to sources within the party, as well as videos that have been made public, despite the fact that the doors were closed to journalists before the list of speakers was finalized, a member of the “Struggle for the Reconstruction of EDEK” initiative attempted to speak first, effectively disregarding the order of speakers.

This sparked serious tension, which was captured in footage that went viral on social media. The climax came with the reactions against the former President of EDEK, Marinos Sizopoulos, which were the most intense, with some members believing he was responsible for the party’s decline.       

This was followed by the departure of a number of delegates who, as the scenes unfolding before their eyes attest, were deeply disappointed.  

Nikos Anastasiou’s Concessions  

The question dominating the conference agenda was whether the Constitutional Convention would precede the Electoral Convention. This question is significant in its own right, as a large number of members—including the youth groups—  are calling for changes to provisions in the Party Charter that impose restrictions on membership, possibly with the aim of enrolling members en masse without any time limit.   

In his opening remarks, the President of EDEK posed the question to the convention: “Should the Constitutional Convention come first, or the Electoral Convention?” and gave priority to the latter.

However, the two organized groups insisted that the Constitutional Convention be held first. 

Ultimately, after a private consultation with their representatives behind closed doors, the EDEK President accepted their proposal, and it was decided that the Constitutional Convention would be held first in October, followed by the Electoral Convention in December.    

The party president’s stance displeased a large number of senior officials.

The discontent intensified when, during the voting process, according to reports, individuals who were not eligible cast votes, which sparked reactions.

Even some front-line officials have expressed the view that Nikos Anastasiou, in his effort to maintain a certain balance, is not willing to rock the boat, despite his good intentions.  

Who will be next?

At this moment, no name with the political depth and personality needed to undertake a genuine restructuring—by taking risks and shouldering responsibilities—is emerging from EDEK.

According to reports, Marios Hannides’ interest in the party presidency is considered a given. Although Nikos Nikolaidis’s name has also been mentioned, the former mayor states that he is not interested in the party presidency. However, it cannot be ruled out that someone else from the old guard might appear on the ballot. There are certainly voices within the party advocating for Nikos Anastasiou to remain, but even front-line officials are hinting that, despite his efforts, he lacks basic leadership skills.     

It is widely expected that figures from the party’s youth wing will seek to take the reins. It should be noted here that the candidate who received the most votes in the parliamentary elections was the young lawyer Sofia Christodoulou, while EDEK Vice President Pambos Christodoulou, also from the party’s youth wing, received a fairly high percentage of the vote. Although he had been interested in the presidency in the past, Morphakis Solomonides does not intend to run for any office again, but he wishes to remain in his position as the party’s general director, a role he assumed after resigning from the police force.  

A few days after the elections, according to reports, he told close associates that he is no longer interested in holding office within EDEK, particularly the position of president.  

Whoever takes over, however, will be sitting in a hot seat and will either achieve a genuine restructuring or bring the party to an end after 57 years. 

In or out of the presidential office?

Nikos Anastasiou crossed the threshold of the Presidential Palace on Thursday for a meeting with the President of the Republic against the backdrop of the Cyprus issue. However, reports indicate that the issue of a cabinet reshuffle was also discussed, though the President of the Republic did not provide a clear answer on how he intends to proceed regarding Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou. In any case, the Presidential Office does not appear to intend to maintain EDEK’s presence in the cabinet, precisely because of its lack of parliamentary representation and the other developments that have already begun tounfold with an eye toward the 2028 presidential elections. Moreover, the party has repeatedly expressed its frustration over its sidelined role in the government. In fact, they make no secret of their frustration with Maria Panagiotou herself, who, according to members of the leadership, is seeking to distance herself from party affairs.   

There is now great interest in the overhaul of the membership registry, spearheaded by Nikos Nikolaidis and other members of the movement. The only certainty is that there are not many opportunities left for the revival of this historic party, which struggles daily for its survival.