The Attorney General has cleared the way for the House of Representatives to release the 2026 state grant to parliamentary parties, totaling €7 million, which had previously been blocked by the Auditor General, Andreas Papaconstantinou. The funds were credited to the parties’ bank accounts yesterday, providing a significant financial boost as they head into the May elections. This allows parties to enhance their communications strategies and organize their election campaigns more comfortably.
Previously, the Auditor General requested a temporary suspension of the grant until the Attorney General issued an opinion on whether €2.6 million, allegedly received illegally by parties in 2018 and 2021, could be offset.
The opinion, issued on 23 January 2026, concluded that legal action against the parties is not advisable, as it would raise serious doubts about the success of any attempt to recover the disputed amounts.
Grant distribution
The House Treasury released the grant based on the 2021 election results. Rounded amounts received by each party are:
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DISY – €1,980,000
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AKEL – €1,620,000
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DIKO – €890,000
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ELAM – €591,000
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EDEK – €587,000
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DIPA – €546,000
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Green Party – €434,000
An additional €100,000 was distributed to support external awareness activities promoting Cyprus’ official positions, and youth wings of parties received €314,640.
The 2026 House budget also includes €5.6 million for 100 parliamentary staff, an indirect grant to parties, as salaries are paid by the state.
Disputed funds will not be recovered
The €2.6 million issue has remained unresolved for eight years:
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€2,091,200 from 2018: Parties used funds allocated for the presidential elections to cover operational expenses instead of election costs, as required by law at the time.
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€577,511 from 2021: Certain parties received amounts they were not entitled to; a legal review concluded these should be redistributed among other parties rather than reclaimed by the state.
The Attorney General’s opinion notes:
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Legal action to recover €2,091,200 from 2018 would face serious obstacles due to unclear laws, delays since the original violation, and legislative changes in 2018 that merged extraordinary and regular funding.
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The €577,511 from 2021 does not constitute a debt to the state but rather a redistribution among parties, causing no financial damage.
As a result, all 2026 state grants have been released without conditions, ensuring parties can proceed with full access to funding.