In Cyprus, City Mayors Elected

On Sunday, June 9, Cyprus held dual elections for the European Parliament deputies and local government officials. Among the votes cast, new mayors were elected for all five major cities in the country. In three out of the five municipalities, the incumbent mayors emerged victorious.

According to the election results, Charalambos Prountzos has been elected as the new mayor of Nicosia. He garnered nearly three times more votes than his main opponent, Nicos Tornaritis.

In his inaugural speech, the newly elected mayor stated that he is proud that his pre-election campaign managed to “unify Nicosia.”

“Nicosia is Europe's last divided capital. We cannot forget that. It is the city's biggest wound. We must strive for a better future for Nicosia and all its residents,” said the re-elected mayor, emphasizing that time cannot be wasted as Nicosia must be ready to assume the EU presidency in 2026.

In Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis was elected as the new mayor following the election results. On Sunday, after counting 90% of the votes, it became clear that he secured a convincing victory, surpassing his main rival Nikos Nicolaides, who has held the position since 2016.

In his first victory speech on Anexartisias Street in Limassol, Yannis Armeftis emphasized that the city “opens a new page with optimism” and promised that Limassol will be proud of him.

In Paphos, the mayor of the city, Phedon Phedonos, was re-elected. With a high voter turnout of 75%, the incumbent mayor secured just over 60% of the votes, surpassing his main competitor, Evros Loizides.

This victory allows Phedon Phedonos to hold the position of Paphos mayor for more than ten years: he was first elected to this position in 2015.

In his victory speech, the re-elected mayor stated his intention to transform Paphos into the “best city to live and work,” adding that even in difficult times, its residents “know how to distinguish between good and evil.”

In Larnaca, the incumbent mayor, Andreas Vyras, also secured a confident victory in the elections. After counting 60% of the votes, his main competitor, Sotiris Ioannou, had no mathematical chance of winning.

Speaking on Sunday evening, the re-elected mayor of Larnaca stated that he holds responsibility not only to those who voted for him, but also to those who did not.

In Famagusta, the incumbent mayor, Simos Ioannou, also emerged victorious in the recent elections, garnering just under 40% of the votes. Only 30% of voters cast their ballots for his closest competitor, Andreas Vrahimis.

Simos Ioannou has established strong relations with the mayor of Famagusta, Cypriot-Turk Suleyman Ulukay, since the latter was elected in 2022.