Disy’s Eleni Stavrou becomes MEP

Disy party member Eleni Stavrou became an MEP on Wednesday, replacing Lefteris Christoforou, who took up a post with the European Court of Auditors.

She took the position because the Disy runner up, Nicos Tornaritis, the person who should have been eligible, rejected it.

Stavrou was declared MEP at the interior ministry by the general commissioner for the election of members of the European Parliament, Costas Constantinou. She thanked Disy, President Nicos Anastasiades, party leader Averof Neophytou, foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides for being her mentor and Tornaritis for the opportunity.

“I believe my academic knowledge, experiences and qualifications during my time at the House committees for defence and EU matters, mean I can make it.”

The newly appointed MEP came under fire in 2019 when she was running for the position, after she appeared to support ‘Enosis’ (union) with Greece.

“Digenis is not flesh to be consumed by the earth, he is a noble ideal! Immortal! Greece-Cyprus-Enosis. Cyprus is Greek – Macedonia is Greek,” she posted on social media.

The statement sparked a firestorm and drew the ire of both Akel and Turkish Cypriots. Neophytou had distanced himself from Stavrou, who was serving as MP, saying the idea of ‘enosis’ ceased to exist decades ago.