In an interview with Brussels Signal, independent MEP Fidias Panayiotou said his new movement, Direct Democracy, will contest the next general election with a model that breaks from traditional party politics.
“We are not a regular party that has an opinion on everything,” said the former social media star on January 30.
“People will choose four or five priorities that matter most to them, and we will develop policies based on those priorities. The direction comes from the people.”
At the core of the project is its own app, also called Direct Democracy, which he says 20,000 Cypriot citizens are registered on, and which will be the basis for policy questions. Their answers, Panayiotou said, will directly “decide” the party’s positions.
According to him, around 200 people have already applied to run as parliamentary candidates under the Direct Democracy banner. Only 56 will eventually be selected through an in-app poll.
“If you support direct democracy and you respect the will of the people, then this is how you become an MP,” he said.
Despite its unconventional structure, the party is currently polling at around 9 per cent but Panyiotou said he does not pay much attention to polls.
“I don’t really believe them,” he insisted.
“Last time in Cyprus, the polls showed me at 5 per cent. I ended up getting 20 per cent as an independent.”
He argues that his support comes largely from voters who are disengaged from traditional politics and who are unlikely to respond to pollsters.
Cypriots are expected to vote in parliamentary elections in May 2026.
