The decision by Disy leader Annita Demetriou to withdraw from the race for the party's nomination for the 2028 presidential elections, citing the pressing need to protect party unity, is likely to act as a catalyst for the coming pre-election period. Whatever its nature, the impact of that decision will not be confined to Disy's cohesion or to the walls of Pindarou, the party's headquarters. It is carried instantly into the wider political landscape, and it has already prompted the first concerns in the Christodoulides camp.

At the Presidential Palace, Politis understands, the way the debate is unfolding inside Disy is causing at the very least unease and, for now, a controlled sense of concern. The reason is that the foundation on which the strategy of holding on to past gains rested, namely the expectation that a critical share of Disy officials and voters would once again back Nikos Christodoulides, whether covertly or openly, is starting to be called into question. It is not collapsing entirely, but a disciplined Disy could change the conditions that shaped the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Then

To grasp the full extent of the concern at the Presidential Palace, it is worth looking back at the previous presidential contest in 2023. At the time, Disy was trapped in a deep polarisation and a multi-layered crisis at the top of its leadership. Its then leader and candidate, Averof Neophytou, faced an internal split that proved fatal. Although the bulk of the party rallied behind the official candidacy, a significant and decisive share of officials and supporters chose to back Christodoulides, openly or behind the scenes. That leakage of support divided the party, kept Neophytou out of the second round and opened the way for the election of the current President of the Republic. Since then, managing the party's various factions and keeping open the channels of communication with Disy officials who had broken from the official line has been a key pillar of the Presidential Palace's political survival. Today, however, a year and a half before the next election and three and a half years after that contest, the landscape is beginning to shift.

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