The middle-right Democratic Rally occasion scored essentially the most votes in Sunday’s elections, which noticed the ultranationalist Nationwide Common Entrance double its share of seats within the 56-member parliament.
“Fidias,” as Panayiotou types himself, has gained some 2.6 million subscribers on his YouTube channel since he started posting in 2019. The 26-year outdated influencer shot to fame after embarking on a mission to hug tech billionaire Elon Musk, and in 2024 launched a profitable bid to develop into a lawmaker within the European Parliament.
Since his election, Panayiotou has raised eyebrows with a go to to Russia and induced uproar by referring to paralympians with mental disabilities as “loonies.” He created the anti-establishment Direct Democracy occasion six months in the past, and within the lead as much as Sunday’s vote he usually campaigned sporting a clown nostril.
Panayiotou’s group finally completed in sixth place, securing 4 seats. “We may’ve achieved higher however we’re pleased with what has occurred, it is a small victory,” he stated.
Yiannis Laouris, a neuroscientist thought-about by some as Panayiotou’s ideological mentor — a label he rejects — will take up the seat as an alternative.
