Alma’s entry into parliament has sparked mixed feelings among its leaders, as they acknowledged a disappointing outcome from their first electoral campaign, securing only four seats. Founded by former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides, the movement expressed that while the results did not meet their expectations, they still represented a notable political breakthrough.
In a statement released following the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, Alma reflected on their performance, stating, “Our leap into parliament was not as big as we had hoped, but it was not insignificant.” They described this initial success as a solid foundation for their future political aspirations.
With 5.8 per cent of the vote, Alma joined Fidias Panayiotou’s Direct Democracy of Cyprus as one of the two new political forces in the House, marking a shift in the political landscape. Despite the underwhelming results, Alma positioned itself as “the voice of the responsible opposition,” committing to support open-minded consensus and advocating for reforms centred around transparency and accountability.
The elections, which occurred against a backdrop of speculation regarding significant political change, ultimately reinforced the dominance of Cyprus’ established parties. Disy maintained its 17 seats, while Akel secured 15. Elam made notable gains, emerging as the third-largest parliamentary force by doubling its representation from four to eight seats.
Alma’s leadership celebrated their achievement, noting, “We are proud that, out of nowhere, we gained decent parliamentary representation.” They pledged to honour the 21,968 citizens who cast their votes for them, expressing their commitment to deliver on the expectations held by their supporters.
Following the elections, the party stated, “In the near future, we will self-critically evaluate the election result,” indicating their intention to deepen their roots within the community and refine their approach moving forward.
Michaelides, who founded Alma after his removal from office by the Supreme Court last year, had previously predicted that voters were ready to unleash “the wrath of God” on the political establishment, reflecting a desire for change. While the election did not yield the anticipated upheaval, it did coincide with significant losses for several smaller established parties, including Edek, which failed to secure parliamentary representation for the first time in its history, and the Ecologists, who also lost all their seats.
