Cyprus National Council to Be Renewed: EDEK and the Greens Drop Out After Decades of Participation

Following the parliamentary elections of 24 May 2026, the composition of the National Council — the President of Cyprus’s advisory body on the Cyprus issue — is changing significantly.

For the first time in 56 years, the socialist party EDEK is losing its seat on the council. Also leaving the body is the «Ecologists’ Movement», which had been present in parliament and advisory structures for 25 years. The DIPA party is leaving the National Council after two parliamentary terms.

The vacant seats will be taken by new political forces that won representation in parliament in the election results. The National Council will include ALMA, led by Odysseas Michaelides, and the «Direct Democracy» movement associated with Fidias Panayiotou.

Experts note that the renewal of the council’s composition reflects broader changes in Cyprus’s political landscape, where traditional parties are losing ground and new movements with anti-establishment and protest rhetoric are gaining parliamentary representation.

The National Council plays an advisory role to the president, taking part in discussions of key aspects of the Cyprus issue and prospects for a political settlement. Its renewal is considered an important political signal, reflecting the redistribution of influence within the country’s political system.

Thus, the results of the 2026 elections not only changed the composition of parliament, but also led to a noticeable renewal of the advisory institutions involved in shaping the state’s position on one of Cyprus’s main issues.