free elections — The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Cyprus violated the right to free elections, stemming from a legislative gap that left a parliamentary seat vacant following the May 2016 elections.
The controversy originated when Eleni Theocharous, elected as a member of parliament for the Solidarity Movement in Limassol, opted to retain her position in the European Parliament instead of taking her seat in the national parliament. This decision set off a chain of events that led to a prolonged legal dispute.
With Theocharous resigning her national seat, the next candidate, Giorgos Papadopoulos, was declared the new MP. However, his election faced repeated annulments by the Supreme Court due to ambiguous laws regarding the filling of vacant seats prior to the start of the parliamentary term.
In efforts to resolve the situation, amendments to the electoral law and constitution were proposed in both 2017 and 2019 to validate Papadopoulos’ election. Unfortunately, the court deemed these attempts unconstitutional, leaving the parliamentary seat unfilled and the will of the voters unfulfilled.
Frustrated by the ongoing legal limbo, Papadopoulos lodged an appeal with the ECtHR. The court delivered its ruling in his favour on 16 September 2025, with the decision publicly announced on 9 October 2025. The ECtHR concluded that Cyprus’ failure to rectify the legislative gap had trapped both the candidate and the electorate in a state of uncertainty.
In its ruling, the court ordered Cyprus to compensate Papadopoulos €8,000 for non-pecuniary damages, recognising the impact of the situation on his rights as well as the disenfranchisement of voters.
