For the first time in the history of the Cypriot House of Representatives the number of women who take a set in the parliament after Sunday’s elections reached 11, thus recording a slight increase compared to the previous composition of the House when their number stood at eight.
Despite this development however, women’s representation is still below 20% of the total number of seats in the Cyprus Parliament.
In 2021, eight women and 48 men were elected, while in 2026 citizens elected 11 women and 45 men. Eleven women were elected in the 2016 parliamentary elections, but only ten took seat in the parliament since Eleni Theocharous, President of the Solidarity Movement, was declared an MP, however announced her decision not to accept the seat.
Of the eight women who were seeking re-election, six managed to secure entry, while five women are entering the Cypriot parliament for the first time.
Annita Demetriou, Savvia Orphanidou and Fotini Tsiridou have re-elected from the Democratic Rally (DISY), Marina Nikolaou from AKEL, Christiana Erotokritou from the Democratic Party (DIKO) and Irini Charalambidou (former AKEL MP) who was re-elected this time with the Alma party.
The five women entering the parliament for the first time are, Nikoletta Constantinou from DISY, who is also the first woman elected from Paphos district, Argentoula Ioannou and Anastasia Hasikou (AKEL), Theodoulitsa Drousiotou (Alma) and Diana Constantinidis (Direct Democracy).
Just like in the parliamentary elections of 2021, DISY has four women and 13 men in its parliamentary group, while AKEL had in 2021 one woman and 13 men, while in 2026 it elected three women and 12 men. DIKO had one woman elected and 10 men in 2021, while now it has elected one woman and seven men MPs.
ELAM did not elect women in 2021 or in 2026, but it increased its presence in the parliament from three to eight MPs, all men.
Regarding the new parties entering the parliament, Alma has elected two women MPs and two men, while Direct Democracy has elected one woman and three men.
Women MPs who ran for re-election but were not re-elected are Rita Superman from DISY, whose seat was taken by Demos Georgiadis, and Alexandra Attalidou, who ran as a Volt candidate in Nicosia (was elected in 2021 with the Ecologist Movement).
It is recalled that a total of 753 candidacies were submitted for the Parliamentary Elections of May 24, 2026, of which 744 were party combinations and nine individual candidates, while 529 candidacies or 70.3% were men and 224 or 29.7% women. In comparison, in the 2021 Parliamentary Elections, 651 candidacies were submitted, of which only 160 were from women (24.31%).
Men MPs entering the Cypriot parliament for the first time are, from DISY, Giorgos Pamborides, Andreas Konstantinou, Charalambos Petrides, Giorgos Karaiskakis, Michalis Fellas, Giorgos Lyssandrides, Demos Georgiades, Michalis Kounounis, from AKEL Ephrem Christou, Konstantinos Konstantinou, Panikos Xiouroupas, from DIKO Adamos Aspris, from ELAM Polys Anogyriatis, Marios Pelekanos, Andreas Papacharalambous, Eugenios Chamboullas and Linos Hadjigeorgiou.
Men MPs who ran for re-election and have been re-elected are from DISY Demitris Demetriou, Giorgos Karoulas, Nikos Georgiou, Charalambos Pazaros and Prodromos Alampritis, from AKEL Stefanos Stefanou, Giorgos Loukaides, Christos Christofides, Aristos Damianou, Nikos Kettiros, Giorgos Koukoumas, Andreas Pasiourtides, Valentinos Fakontis, Giannakis Gabriel, from DIKO Nikolas Papadopoulos, Panikos Leonidou, Chrysis Pantelidis, Zacharias Koulias, Andreas Apostolou, Chrysanthos Savvides and from ELAM Christos Christou, Linos Papagiannis, Sotiris Ioannou.
Men MPs from the new parties entering for the first time the Parliament are Odysseas Michaelides and Michalis Paraskevas (Alma) and Giannis Laouris, Demetris Souglis, and Demetris Baros (Direct Democracy).
Finally, the representatives of the religious groups in the House of Representatives are Antonella Lydia Mantovani (Latin religious group), Vartkes Mahdessian (Armenian religious group) and Petros Nacouzis (Maronite religious group).