Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus parliament has released €7 million in state funding to political parties ahead of elections in May, following a legal opinion that cleared a hurdle linked to disputed past payments.
Attorney-general opinion clears conditions
The release followed an opinion issued last Friday by attorney-general Giorgos Savvides, which said legal action to recover €2.6 million allegedly received illegally by parties in 2018 and 2021 would face serious obstacles. The opinion said pursuing recovery would raise doubts about the success of any attempt and therefore the funds could be distributed without conditions.
Funds credited to party accounts
The disbursement, credited to party accounts yesterday, provides funding ahead of the May elections. Parties can fund campaigns and communications, with allocations based on the 2021 parliamentary election results.
Allocations to parties and additional grants
Disy received €1.98 million, Akel €1.62 million, Diko €890,000, Elam €591,000, Edek €587,000, Dipa €546,000 and the Greens €434,000. Youth wings were granted €314,640, and an additional €100,000 was earmarked for overseas activities promoting Cyprus’ official positions.
Dispute over €2.6 million
The dispute over the €2.6 million has lasted eight years. Of that amount, €2.09 million from 2018 was intended for presidential election campaigns but was used by parties for operational expenses. The remaining €577,511 from 2021 arose from misallocated funds that a legal review concluded should be redistributed among parties rather than reclaimed by the state.
How do you think the release of state funding will affect parties’ campaign activities ahead of the May elections?