In a move that took party cadres by surprise, Edek leader Marinos Sizopoulos announced on Thursday that he was stepping down.

Sizopoulos delivered the news to party cadres during a session of Edek’s central committee.

In remarks, the politician said he wanted to hand over the baton to “a new leadership”.

He asserted that he was “not quitting” but rather “withdrawing” out of respect for internal Edek regulations which restrict members to two consecutive stints as MP.

He will retain his position as MP and remain a member of the party.

Sizopoulos’ term as party chairman was set to expire in 2026.

Speaking to media anonymously after the announcement, party sources called Sizopoulos’ resignation “like a bolt out of the blue”.

As such, they said it’s unclear who would run to succeed Sizopoulos.

Under Edek’s charter, elections for a new party leader must take place within 40 days.

Elected Edek leader a decade ago, Sizopoulos – a dermatologist by profession – took heavy flak especially after the party’s dismal performance in the June 2024 European Parliament elections. The party garnered just 5 per cent of the popular vote and lost its single MEP seat.

Media reports at the time had suggested that Sizopoulos might stay on until the 2026 parliamentary elections.

However disaffection with his stewardship had been brewing for some time. In mid-June 2024, following the European Parliament elections, former Strovolos mayor Savvas Iliofotou had penned an open letter calling on Sizopoulos to stand down.

“Edek urgently needs oxygen to survive, and you’re not the one to provide it,” Iliofotou wrote, although he added that Sizopoulos was not solely to blame for the party’s downward slide.