Nicosia, Cyprus. Parliament on Tuesday advanced plans to allocate about €640,000 in state funding and provide police escorts to the newly established parliamentary parties Alma and Direct Democracy. Under the current framework, each party is expected to receive about €320,000 in advance funding.
Advance funding mechanism
The payments are part of a mechanism allowing newly elected parliamentary parties to draw forward a portion of their annual state subsidy. The arrangement is based on provisions permitting parties that secure parliamentary representation to request early payment of funding proportional to their electoral performance, with the amount later deducted from future annual allocations.
Requests and processing
Alma leader Odysseas Michaelides has formally requested the advance payment, while a corresponding request from Direct Democracy leader Fidias Panayiotou is also expected. Parliamentary accounting services have already initiated procedures to process the payments in line with the statutory framework.
2026 subsidy framework
The total state subsidy for political parties in 2026 was set at €7 million and distributed earlier in the year. The new advance mechanism is intended to support the operational costs of parties that enter parliament between electoral cycles.
Use of funds
The funds are expected to be directed primarily towards staffing and the establishment of party offices nationwide in preparation for future electoral contests, including the 2028 presidential election cycle.
Repayment structure and security provisions
Under the relevant legal provision, a party that transitions to parliamentary status may request funding for the period following the election until the end of the year, with the advance subsequently recovered through five equal annual deductions from future entitlements. Parliamentary officials said the mechanism is being applied in line with established budgetary procedures and fiscal responsibility rules governing political financing.
Alongside the financial arrangements, a parallel process is underway regarding security provisions for the leaders of both parties.
