Former govt spokesman on Elam list for EU elections
Former government spokesman Marios Pelekanos has been included on Elam’s party list for the upcoming European elections in June. Elam aims to address challenges facing Cypriot Hellenism and promote Cyprus’s interests in Europe through the Party of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). Pelekanos’s inclusion is based on his positions on immigration, demographics, and economic policies for vulnerable groups. He served as government spokesman under President Nicos Anastasiades from 2021 to 2023 and was vice chairman of Anastasiades’ party Disy before resigning in February after not being selected as a candidate for the European elections. Elam leader Christos Christou confirmed discussions about Pelekanos’s inclusion. A final decision on Elam’s candidates is pending, but an announcement is expected soon. If Pelekanos is included on Elam’s list, he will be automatically expelled from Disy, as stated by Disy MP Onoufrios Koulla. Pelekanos has requested to terminate his Disy membership. He is known for his right-wing views on immigration and LGBT rights and identifies with the “popular right,” a conservative wing of Disy.