Nikos Christoulides elected president of Cyprus in runoff vote
PBS NewsHourDec 23, 2022
The Facts
Center-right independent Nikos Christodoulides was voted on Sunday to be the president of Cyprus, beating left-wing independent Andreas Mavroyiannis with a majority of 51.9% in a run-off election.
Christodoulides, who is considered a hard-liner regarding Cyprus' reunification issue, was originally from the ruling right-wing Democratic Rally party but broke ranks with the party and its leader Averof Neofytou.
The Spin
Narrative A
Despite a lack of election experience, Christodoulides ran an effective campaign based on the message of being a unifying force. Now he must take this message and prove to be a strong leader — essential for his presidency and for making a good start in a new era for Cyprus.
Narrative B
While the public had concerns such as the cost of living crisis, irregular immigration, and Cyprus's decades-long split, many voters simply chose to vote for the "least worst" candidate. While this is a theme of many elections, Cypriots mostly simply desire that corruption is rooted out and the suffering economy improves.
