He’s opening up the discussion about running for the 28th seat, but his main goal seems to be the DISY presidency
When rumors began circulating last year that Giorgos Pamporidis would run for a seat in Parliament on the Democratic Alarm ticket, some were surprised, and quite a few believed he would back out at the last minute. His hot-tempered nature, combined with his obvious disagreements over the leadership’s political approach, were enough to reinforce the belief that the former Minister of Health would not see this battle through to the end. A battle that seemed both out of his depth and out of character. The outcome of the parliamentary elections—and especially his successful ranking on the party list—was not merely a victory for his personal gamble. It legitimized his strong voice and role in determining how DISY will proceed in the presidential election. The question, of course, is what his role might be in these circumstances, which are difficult for him. If the support he garnered—which mobilized disillusioned Synergatiki members and voters on the fringes of the party last May— is it enough to make him the Alarmist candidate for the Presidency of the Republic this time around? Given that his candidacy is not the frontrunner, the question shifts to whether he will withdraw his candidacy down the line, whether he will fight to the bitter end, or whether he is now laying the groundwork for the DISY presidency.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
A turbulent journey
The truth is that Giorgos Pamporidis’s political journey so far has not been based on alliances, public relations, or political camps that would pave the way for him, but rather a confrontational one. On the one hand, this helped him get the National Health System (GESY) passed; on the other hand, it caused him to make quite a few enemies within organized groups and political circles. As for DISY, he found himself facing four factions:
- Averof Neophytou
- Efthymios Diplaros
- He politely challenged Anita Dimitriou
- And because of his ambitions, he created rivalries with other top-tier party officials
He was the first to challenge Averof Neophytou and the policies he pursued within the party during the 2019 European elections; previously, the General Health System (GESY) had portrayed him as an adversary. The rift between the two men was confirmed not only during the 2023 presidential race and subsequent internal party elections, but also in his recent statements on “Pints of Politics,” where he claimed that if Averof Neophytou returns, he will find him standing against him.
In the meantime, he dismissed Efthymios Diplaros with the well-known line that “Diplaros’s ‘Alarm’ does not represent him,” while his recent statement on “alpha Summer” about how crime has infiltrated politics raised questions. Whether it was a general statement or whether the remark referred to specific politicians he would reveal later. His remark that he is running in the parliamentary elections because he is interested in the future of DISY was enough to ensure he was not warmly received by members of the leadership and other top-ranking officials. On the contrary, they repeatedly questioned his party loyalty and accused him of excessive ambition and opportunism. This was certainly influenced by the fact that Giorgos Pamboridis’s name was being floated for the 2023 presidential election, as a candidate who would be backed by AKEL and DIKO. And this, in and of itself, constituted—for many party officials and members—the greatest political sin, one that part of the coalition’s base would not forgive him for.
Although he openly disagreed with Anita Dimitriou and largely questioned her leadership authority, the DISY President is credited with not feeling insecure and seeking to include Pamporidis on the ticket. She apparently realized that she would come out ahead in either scenario. In other words, either his candidacy would boost the party’s vote share in a critical race, or he would fail and be out of the picture—once and for all—as a potential internal party rival. However, no matter how much political magnanimity Anita Dimitriou showed in placing him on the ballot, there has been much discussion about how his candidacy was viewed more broadly. The complaint she filed with the party’s governing bodies regarding the undermining of her candidacy pointed the finger at Efthymios Diplaros, while the perception fostered within DISY is that the possibility of his election with a strong showing would pave the way for him to make claims that conflict with the ambitions of others. In this context, his ranking (second in preference votes in Nicosia) was considered by many to be a major achievement. And party officials concluded that, in addition to mobilizing the swing voters among the Alarmists, he inevitably garnered support from part of the hard-line Alarm Party base as well.
Plan B
However, this entire turbulent journey—marked by conflicts and direct challenges from top-tier officials regarding how they conduct politics and how they have distorted DISY—gives the impression that any otheris doomed to fail. After all, he himself has admitted that he lacks access to the party’s core members as well as the support base enjoyed by his two potential rivals, Annita Dimitriou and Averof Neophytou. And given that Pindarou is attempting to expedite the candidate selection process, the odds are stacked against Giorgos Pamboridis compared to the other three.
Sources close to him note that if the party proceeds with an internal selection process, it will be a battle that must be fought regardless of the outcome. Based on his statements, however, Giorgos Pamporidis seems to have come to terms with the fact that it will be difficult for him to secure the party’s nomination. After all, he has not yet begun the process of collecting signatures and registering members. His main goal, however, throughout all of this is the presidency of DISY. His remarks during the pre-election campaign—that he is concerned about DISY’s future and that the party’s current political approach does not reflect his views—were by no means coincidental. Given his disagreements over the constitutional amendment that would allow the grassroots to elect the party’s candidate, as well as his warnings about the party’s inward-looking stance ahead of the crucial battle, he is laying the groundwork to run for the presidency of DISY. Either in the scenario where Annita Dimitriou is a candidate and is elected President of the Republic, Or if she fails, by challenging her. The question, of course, is whether he will have succeeded either to mend relations with influential figures within the party’s core, or whether he will attempt, through the narrative of party reform, to build new alliances and bring new people into the fold.
