Election results in the Republic of Cyprus summed up: in the TRNC they speak of rising nationalism and a crisis in the idea of federation

The results of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Cyprus caused a wide reaction in the TRNC. Researcher and political analyst Mete Hatay said the vote showed a deep transformation in Greek Cypriot politics, with nationalist and anti-system sentiments gaining strength.

According to Hatay, the winner of the night was DISY, which managed to retain its lead despite a drop in ratings during the pre-election period. The expert believes that voters’ concerns over the rise of the far-right ELAM pushed part of the center-right electorate back to DISY in search of «stability».

At the same time, Hatay noted that ELAM itself continues to strengthen its position and has already firmly established itself at the center of political life on the Greek Cypriot side. Although the party did not make the expected «big leap», the far-right forces, according to the analyst, are no longer a marginal phenomenon.

The result of AKEL was also viewed positively in the TRNC, as the party managed to strengthen its support thanks to its social agenda, the high cost of living and the population’s economic problems.

Hatay paid special attention to the failure of forces advocating rapprochement between the two communities and a federative solution to the Cyprus issue. According to him, Volt Cyprus, which bet on European values and dialogue, received only about 3% of the vote, which became «one of the saddest outcomes of the election».

The expert believes that society in the south of the island is increasingly focusing on issues of security and internal polarization, while the idea of a shared future for the two communities is receding into the background.

In the TRNC, attention was also drawn to the success of the ALMA movement, which campaigned with anti-system rhetoric and slogans about a «clean society». In Hatay’s view, this confirms growing distrust of traditional political elites in the south of Cyprus.

Overall, analysts in the TRNC believe that the election results indicate a serious shift in the island’s political balance and a further weakening of the position of supporters of a federal settlement to the Cyprus issue.