Athens, Greece. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday congratulated Disy and its leader Annita Demetriou for finishing first in Sunday’s parliamentary election, describing the result as a victory for both Demetriou and the party.
Election result
Mitsotakis said the party of Glafcos Clerides remained the clear leading force in Cyprus and that Cypriots had chosen stability. He also wished success to the members of the House and said Greece stood firmly by Cyprus’ side.
Glafcos Clerides served as Cyprus’ first House president after the island’s independence in 1960 and later as acting president for five months after the events of the summer of 1974. He went on to serve as president from 1993 to 2003 and founded Disy in 1976.
Demetriou’s meeting with Mitsotakis
Demetriou met Mitsotakis about a week and a half before the election. After the meeting, she said Greece was Cyprus’ most steadfast support and that the relationship between Disy and New Democracy remained one of trust, shared values, cooperation and mutual support.
She added that this common convergence must continue with determination and perseverance because it constituted the most dynamic perspective for all of Hellenism, for Cyprus and Greece.
Greece and party ties
Although Greece is not required to hold a parliamentary election until July next year, sources close to the Greek government have told the Cyprus Mail that its intention is to hold the election before Greece takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year.
Media reports in Greece have suggested that Mitsotakis is considering holding the election either shortly before or shortly after the Thessaloniki International Fair in September.
Disy and New Democracy both belong to the European People’s Party, a centre-right political grouping across Europe. The group’s leader, German member of the European Parliament Manfred Weber, also congratulated Disy.
Weber congratulated Disy and Demetriou on their election win and said the result once again showed the trust the Cypriot people placed in them as Cyprus’ leading political party. He added that people’s expectations were high and that they were ready to deliver.
