Opening Remarks by AKEL Parliamentary Representative Giorgos Loucaides, during the presentation of the work of the AKEL – Left – New Forces Parliamentary Group (2021–2026)

 

Wednesday, 8 April 2026, House of Representatives

Dear friends,

Permit me to thank you for attending our press conference today on the report and review of the work carried out by the AKEL – Left – New Forces Parliamentary Group covering the five-year term 2021–2026.

This review of our parliamentary work is rooted in the principles of transparency and accountability, which are fundamental to democracy. At the same time, at the end of this parliamentary term, it takes on an increased significance, as it enables citizens to clearly assess who we are, what we represent, what we fought for, and what we achieved for the benefit of society.

At a time when institutions are being questioned and ‘politics’ is losing its credibility in the eyes of the public; we choose the path of accountability. With our report, we seek to enhance our interaction and contacts with society. We want to promote a meaningful dialogue, listen to citizen’s needs and concerns and look for new ideas that can be transformed into specific policies for the benefit of all.

At the same time, we do not hesitate to subject ourselves to society’s scrutiny. We are open to criticism and to any feedback concerning our shortcomings and weaknesses, because we firmly believe that a relationship of trust with the public can only be forged through honesty and accountability.

We aspire to establish a high-quality and sincere communication with society, its organized groups, and institutions. Because for us, politics is not a process detached from social reality, but a living relationship of responsibility with society. Society has every right to know and judge the work of its representatives. And political forces have an obligation to be accountable not only in words, but through their actions.

The report on AKEL’s parliamentary activity reflects a collective effort that sought not merely to be better, but fundamentally different from the rest. Different in its priorities, values, and the ethos that guides our political action. Different, because at the heart of our political choices are not the few and the privileged, but the overwhelming social majority.

For us, politics has a clear orientation:

• to support workers and their labour rights,
• to address inflation and the cost-of-living crisis
• to strengthen the middle strata, small and medium-sized businesses and the self-employed,
• to protect pensioners and vulnerable groups of the population,
• to create prospects for the young generation of this country
• to strengthen the rule of law, human rights and democracy

Our work demonstrates AKEL’s steadfast commitment to exercising effective parliamentary scrutiny, contributing to the solution of problems, and intervening whenever society needs us. We have struggled to defend the rule of law, for transparency, and the stamping out of corruption and collusion/entanglement—phenomena that erode public trust and undermine democracy.

Our political identity is highlighted through our long-standing actions. The emphasis we place on health, education, social policy, worker’s rights, and development that benefits the many, not the privileged few. But also our firm commitment to protecting the environment, supporting our refugees and the rural community, defending human rights, and strengthening democratic institutions.

As the biggest and, in essence, the only opposition party, we are fully aware of the responsibility that falls upon us. And we work with consistency to meet this responsibility with seriousness, credibility, and a clear political discourse.

The upcoming parliamentary elections will represent a critical juncture for the present and future of society. It is the moment when citizens are called upon to answer clear-cut dilemmas:

• Do we want a society where work is a right, with dignity and protection, or a society of job insecurity and exclusion?
• Do we want a strong rule of law, with institutions that are accountable and subject to scrutiny, or a reality where corruption and collusion/entanglement are tolerated through cover-up mechanisms?
• Do we want development that benefits the many, or to a development whose benefits are concentrated in the hands of the select few?
• Do we want a young generation with prospects in their homeland, or a generation forced to emigrate yearning to live with dignity?
• Do we want our senior citizens living in security and respected, or a society that leaves behind the people who have worked so hard all their lives?
• Ultimately, do we want a society that is inclusive for all, or a society for the privileged few that leaves the many behind?

These are the real dilemmas before the electorate. And regarding these dilemmas, we believe that through our parliamentary work we have demonstrated that we have realistic, feasible answers and solutions.

Dear friends,

At the heart of our parliamentary work over the past five years has been the promotion and defence of working people’s rights, and the protection of workers—particularly those in the private sector—from any arbitrary and unilateral decisions.

We are awaiting the government’s initiative to launch a social dialogue, as well as a positive response from the other political parties, so that we can advance the bill we have submitted to institutionally and legislatively ensure the implementation of collective agreements and the possibility of extending them to cover the entire economic sector, as well as the establishment of minimum employment conditions for workers not covered by collective agreements. Let us also bear in mind the European Minimum Wage Directive, which stipulates that collective agreements should be extended to cover 80% of workers.

Through AKEL’s legislative initiatives, Parliament has approved legislation on teleworking, enshrining workers’ right to disconnect, as well as the obligation of employers to  organize working hours in such a way that no worker is forced to stand for prolonged and uninterrupted periods. Recently, our bill was also passed to strengthen the existing legal framework governing employers’ obligation to inform, educate, and train their employees in order to ensure safety and health at the workplace.

To these initiatives, we should also add the bill we introduced, which established the necessary criteria and conditions for determining the existence of an employer-employee relationship, with the aim of putting an end to the phenomena of falsifying the actual employment status and pseudo-self-employment. The debate on the bill resulted in the submission and eventual approval of a government bill requiring all employers to report their employees’ employment details and terms into an information system. At the same time, penalties for non-compliant employers were tightened.

I would also like to mention the amendment we submitted during the debate on the bill regarding the extension of the deadline for issuing operating licenses for hotel accommodations. In our amendment, we proposed compliance with the collective bargaining agreement in force for workers in the sector as a basic condition for granting the extension. Unfortunately, our proposal was not accepted.

This stance, even if only indicative, clearly highlights the difference in AKEL’s approach. We chose to stand by workers, defending fundamental labour rights and rules that ensure dignified working conditions.

Allow me to briefly address the critical issue of foreclosures.

The approval of AKEL’s bill proposal in the last plenary session marks a significant victory for society and confirms that persistence, consistency and struggle do yield results.

AKEL, with steadfastness and responsibility, has always insisted on promoting fair and balanced proposals that serve society and protect citizens from the arbitrary actions and abuses of the banks and hedge funds.

Our proposal restores a fundamental right of borrowers: the ability to seek legal recourse and suspend a foreclosure in cases of illegal charges and abusive clauses.

At the same time, this regulation is part of a comprehensive policy proposal AKEL has elaborated to address non-performing loans. A proposal that includes strengthening social policy to protect the right to housing—by expanding the “rent-for-instalment” scheme —more effective supervision of the banks and funds, as well as improvements to the insolvency framework, so that more borrowers can save their primary residence.

We want to be quite clear. We will continue with the same persistence and responsibility to put forward well-documented, fair, and socially necessary proposals. We will continue to advocate for solutions that serve the social majority and protect the dignity of citizens.

Dear friends,

Over the past five years, our efforts to address expensiveness and the high cost of living have been intense and ongoing. The situation, especially following recent events and the ongoing war, has placed a heavy burden on households and businesses, leaving them unable to cope with increases in energy, fuel, and housing costs. AKEL had previously called on the government to repeal the “green” taxes, arguing that rising costs should lead to tax cuts for the economically vulnerable rather than loading new burdens.

At the same time, our Parliamentary Group submitted the following legislative proposals:

• A reduction of VAT to 5% on electricity, residential energy retrofitting, and the renovation of private residences.
• Applying a zero VAT rate to basic goods and essential items.

It should be noted that, under a bill proposed by AKEL and approved by the House of Representatives, the Minister of Energy may issue decrees setting maximum prices for petroleum products during difficult economic conditions, thereby protecting consumers. Our proposal to abolish double taxation on fuel, although passed, was referred by the President of the Republic to the Supreme Court, which ruled it unconstitutional.

Of course, a holistic approach to substantially boosting the incomes of the lower- and middle-income groups could be strengthened through tax reform—an opportunity that, unfortunately, the Government and the other parties failed to utilise.

AKEL did not oppose the tax reform as a whole. On the contrary, it led the efforts to elaborate and submit measures that improved the tax framework: relief measures for the middle strata and small and medium-sized enterprises, strengthening the fight against tax evasion, and protecting workers’ Provident Funds. At the same time, we insisted on the need to re-adapt social policy so that those left out of the core measures could also benefit.

Thanks to our efforts, improvements were made to the tax framework, including increases in tax deductions for children and housing expenses, tax exemption for the Provident Funds, and an increase in the tax-free allowance.

However, the government’s philosophy, in collaboration with DISY, DIKO, DIPA, and far-right ELAM, has left 50% of society—low-wage earners, young people, and pensioners—out in the cold, while through the votes on 22 December, they handed out approximately 250 million euros annually to big business profits.

In contrast, AKEL proposed a fairer tax system: a reduction in indirect taxes, a greater tax burden on the super-wealthy, taxation of high-value real estate (1‰ for properties worth over €3 million), and a proportional, progressive system of annual fees for large corporations.

With these proposals, AKEL remained faithful to the principle that politics must serve the many, not the few, with the aim of achieving a fairer distribution of wealth in our country, especially at a time when credible international research has shown Cyprus to be the country with the largest increase in the wealth share of the richest 10%, at the expense of the rest of society.

Dear friends,

The discussion about the skyrocketing cost of living is taking place at a time when banks are recording huge, exorbitant profits: 1.2 billion euros for 2024, 1.4 billion euros for 2025, while citizens and small and medium-sized businesses are struggling to cope with the ongoing increases.

In 2024, AKEL submitted a bill proposal for the imposition of a temporary tax on the banks’ windfall profits for the years 2024 and 2025. The revenue would be directed immediately towards supporting borrowers and mitigating the effects of three years of rising inflation and successive interest rate hikes by the European Central Bank.

Despite the clear social significance of our proposal, the majority of Parliament—by a margin of just one vote—decided to reject it, siding with the banking recklessness instead of with society.

This reaffirmed, on the one hand, that not all the political parties are the same, as certain forces/circles cunningly attempt to portray, but it also demonstrates how critical it is to strengthen AKEL. Every bit of support brings us closer to policies that truly defend the interests of citizens and not those of the powerful.

AKEL has reintroduced its proposal, as well as a bill proposal for the taxation of the super profits of the renewable energy companies, which are currently pending before the Parliamentary Finance Committee, and will shall endeavour to have them reinstated once the new Parliament is elected.

 

Dear friends,

The rampant, unchecked and sweeping real estate purchases by third-country nationals are provoking major side effects and dangers, exacerbating the housing crisis in our country.

AKEL was the first to open the public debate on this issue, for which we have even faced criticism. The General Secretary of AKEL submitted two bill proposals that put the brakes on massive real estate purchases by third-country nationals and which, together, can help keep real estate prices in check.

These bill proposals close the “loopholes” through which the established limits on real estate purchases by foreign nationals are bypassed, either via companies with foreign interests or through assignments. They set limits on the size of residential and commercial properties that foreign nationals can acquire and completely prohibit the purchase of homes by foreign-owned companies.

They put an end to the ability of third-country nationals and foreign-owned companies to acquire vast tracts of land. They dissociate real estate purchases from the Golden Visa Program. They completely prohibit the sale of forest or agricultural land to foreign nationals. Finally, they ensure that the areas surrounding infrastructures that are vital and critical to Cyprus’s security—such as ports, airports, coastal zones, and the ceasefire line—will remain under Cypriot control. At the same time, we have also submitted a bill proposal that decouples the Golden Visa Program from the acquisition of real estate property.

These proposals are expected to be tabled to the Plenary on 16 April 2026

Dear friends,

AKEL continues its constant struggle against collusion/entanglement and lack of transparency, bringing to light serious cases such as the “black spy van” and illegal surveillance, exposing the ties between the government, implicated companies, and individuals found guilty abroad, whilst in Cyprus the competent authorities remain silent. AKEL continues to demand a full investigation, the reopening of the spy van case, and accountability, so that the veil of cover-up can be lifted.

At the same time, with the approval  of our motion for the abolition of the First Lady’s Fund, we ensured that its responsibilities and reserves were transferred to the State Scholarships Foundation, without penalizing the eligible students. Furthermore, through the resolution we submitted to the House of Representatives, we continue to call for the disclosure, in a classified manner, of the Fund’s donors, ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective oversight in the management of public resources.

AKEL promoted the protection of whistleblowers, revealed aspects of the “golden passports” scandal, defended the management of public funds in cases such as the Cooperative Bank and the Limassol Port case, and focused on legal frameworks for the protection of personal data and surveillance.

Regarding human rights, AKEL was at the forefront of all the struggles seeking the enhancement of environmental protection by enshrining the right to a healthy and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right in the Constitution. We supported the implementation of the Istanbul Convention and the establishment of free legal aid for victims of gender-based and domestic violence, ensuring meaningful support and protection.

We also enacted legislation against revenge porn and child pornography using artificial intelligence, with strict penalties for the production, possession, or distribution of such material. With the regulation of deepfakes, we have enshrined for the first time in Europe the right to one’s face, voice, and personal characteristics, protecting human dignity from digital exploitation. Through all these initiatives, AKEL demonstrates that politics can protect modern human rights by harnessing technology for the benefit of people, not the other way around.

Dear friends,

This brief introductory statement cannot cover all of AKEL’s initiatives, which have been equally active in other areas, such as the refugee crisis, education and healthcare, the environment, and our proposals for culture, sports, the agricultural sector, and so much more.

What we have presented is only a part of the work that has been done. It demonstrates, however, that our presence in Parliament is not merely formal. It is substantive and has a tangible impact on society and citizens. Fully aware of our responsibility to society and our role as representatives of the people, we continue with even greater determination: with responsibility, assertiveness, and consistency, but also with the humility demanded by the trust of citizens.

I also consider it important, however, to make a very brief mention of the continuous, active, and substantive participation of the AKEL parliamentary group in European and international parliamentary bodies. With consistency and seriousness, we forge alliances, strengthen bilateral relations of cooperation, and, through parliamentary diplomacy, responsibly advance the interests of our country and people.

Dear friends,

In every district, in every interaction with organized groups/movements, and through its public presence in parliamentary committees, it is recognized that the AKEL Parliamentary Group stands out for its integrity, responsibility, diligence, and the clarity of its positions. This recognition honors us, but at the same time commits us to constantly improving our work.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the MP’s of our group, especially those who will not be candidates in the upcoming elections but will continue to be at the forefront of the struggles being waged alongside AKEL and society. Because for us, service is not synonymous with any titles, nor is it limited to a single position. It is a way of life and a responsibility that is tested, perhaps even more so, beyond any titles and positions. And this is precisely what at the end of the day distinguishes those who, instead of seeking self-interest, remain steadfastly committed to fighting for collective values and ideals, consistently serving the needs of our society and our people.

I would also like to thank our parliamentary assistants—the people who work quietly but decisively—as well as AKEL’s Policy Auxiliary Bureaus for their well-documented and valuable contributions. I extend our special thanks to the staff of the House of Representatives for their continuous support and professional expertise, as well as to the media professionals. We look forward to even more substantive cooperation, with the aim of providing citizens with the most comprehensive briefing possible.

With responsibility, consistency, and clarity, we continue the struggle.

Dera friends,

In less than two months, the people will be called upon to judge and decide. And our own pledge is clear: to continue working with determination, responsibility, clarity of purpose, documentation, and always with a dedication to defending the interests of the vast social majority. For the society and the Cyprus we envision!