Noverna Analytics’ April poll for Politis paints a picture of a society caught between political volatility, low trust and mounting concerns about everyday life. The findings go beyond numbers. They form a political and social narrative that is already shaping party planning ahead of the two major election contests on the horizon.
Link to the presidential election
The first and decisive finding is how voters perceive the link between parliamentary and presidential elections. Forty-four per cent believe the parliamentary election results will play “a major role” in selecting presidential candidates for 2028, while another 34 per cent say they will play “some role”. In effect, almost 8-out-of-10 citizens see a direct political interdependence.
This suggests voters do not view parliamentary elections as an intermediate contest but as a qualifying round for the presidential race. Parties will struggle to act autonomously or rely on narrow partisan criteria, as the parliamentary outcome will either legitimise or undermine future presidential choices.
Party-based analysis reinforces this picture while revealing differences. Among AKEL and DISY voters, a strong majority believe the parliamentary elections will decisively affect presidential choices, with more than 50 per cent saying they will play a “major role”. This indicates that supporters of the two largest parties expect strategic continuity and political decisions based on the strength recorded at the ballot box. By contrast, among voters of ALMA and smaller parties, this perception is weaker or shifts toward “some role”, reflecting lower expectations of strategic coherence.
Potential candidates
The survey also tracks attitudes toward potential candidates for the 2028 presidential election. No figure shows strong positive momentum. The highest positive ratings cluster around 30 per cent, and in every case negative views dominate.
President Nikos Christodoulides records a 30 per cent positive predisposition, alongside a 60 per cent negative one. Former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides posts 29 per cent positive and 54 per cent negative, while former negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis stands at 27 per cent positive and 57 per cent negative. House President Annita Demetriou follows closely with 26 per cent (64 per cent negative), and former DISY leader Averof Neophytou and former AKEL MP Irene Charalambidou each score 24 per cent (65 and 63 per cent negative respectively).
All politically prominent figures included in the poll register rejection rates that approach or exceed 60 per cent. The same holds true for party leaders such as AKEL general secretary Stefanos Stefanou (17 per cent positive, 72 per cent negative) and ELAM leader Christos Christou (14 per cent positive, 77 per cent negative), both facing strong negative sentiment. The picture points to a generalised deficit of political acceptance and the absence of candidates with unifying appeal.
Governance
At the level of governance, the findings for the president are particularly negative. On handling the recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, only 24 per cent approve of the government’s response, while 57 per cent disapprove. The picture is even worse on defence policy, where approval drops to 23 per cent and disapproval climbs to 67 per cent. These figures signal a clear crisis of confidence in key areas of state management.
A party breakdown reveals expected differences, along with notable contradictions. DIKO voters are more positive, with 44 per cent approving the handling of foot-and-mouth disease, while approval among DISY voters reaches 35 per cent. Among AKEL and ALMA voters, rejection is overwhelming. Even within voter groups more favourable to the government, approval fails to reach a majority, indicating cross-party wear.
On support for livestock farmers, the picture is even bleaker. Just 6 per cent describe support as “very adequate” and 22 per cent as “rather adequate”. By contrast, 57 per cent – 31 per cent “rather inadequate” and 26 per cent “not at all” – give a negative assessment. This reflects widespread social dissatisfaction with the state’s ability to respond to crises in the primary sector.
Concerns over the war
The strongest finding in the poll relates to public anxiety triggered by the war in the Middle East. Seventy-two per cent say they are “very concerned” about rising electricity and fuel prices, making this by far the dominant worry. The result shows that citizens feel the economic impact of the crisis more immediately than its geopolitical dimensions.
Concerns over tourism and refugee flows follow, with roughly 40 per cent expressing high anxiety. Security registers a more balanced response, with fewer respondents saying they are very concerned and a wider spread of views overall. Despite regional tensions, citizens do not feel an immediate security threat. Instead, they focus on economic and social repercussions.
Age-group analysis adds nuance. Older respondents express greater concern about prices and tourism, while younger groups show more diffuse worries and uncertainty. On security, those aged 55-to-64 record the highest levels of intense concern, possibly reflecting heightened sensitivity to stability issues.
Strong reservations
Overall, the poll sketches a political landscape without clear protagonists and marked by strong social scepticism. Citizens appear reluctant to trust either political figures or policies, while recognising that the upcoming elections are interconnected and consequential. The economy and everyday costs emerge as the main arenas of political contestation, and crisis management stands out as the key test of government credibility.
The conclusion is clear. The political system is entering a period in which voter behaviour will be shaped less by ideological alignment and more by judgments of effectiveness. So far, those judgments are harsh.
Survey profile
Conducted by: Noverna Analytics & Research, member of SEDEAK and ESOMAR, on behalf of the newspaper Politis.
Sample and methodology: 1,005 interviews with a representative sample of the population in the government-controlled areas eligible to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections, using random sampling.
Interview method: Structured questionnaire via CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing).
Weighting: The sample was weighted by the demographic profile of the electorate.
Maximum margin of error: plus-or-minus 2.7 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level.
Fieldwork dates: 27 March to 6 April 2026.