A preferred YouTuber from Cyprus has been elected as an impartial member of the European Parliament (MEP). Fidias Panayiotou has beforehand described himself as a “skilled prankster” and a few of his weird web stunts embrace attempting to hug 100 celebrities – together with Elon Musk – and spending every week in a coffin.
The 24-year-old YouTuber has greater than 2.6 million subscribers and – regardless of having no political expertise – managed to seize the third most votes with 19.4%.
“It was a shock what occurred, a miracle,” Panayiotou stated.
He advised state broadcaster CyBC: “The events ought to take it as a warning that they should modernize themselves and take heed to the folks.”
Final 12 months, Panayiotou was pressured to apologize after inflicting outrage in Japan for a YouTube video through which he averted paying prepare fares and a five-star lodge breakfast invoice.
The video, which has racked up thousands and thousands of views, exhibits him touring round Japan on the well-known bullet prepare, whereas avoiding fares by hiding in bathrooms and pretending to be sick. However on Sunday, he celebrated his victory with a gathering at Eleftheria Sq. within the island’s capital, Nicosia.
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“We’re writing historical past. Not solely in Cyprus, however internationally,” Panayiotou stated.
In response to Politico, Panayiotou acknowledged in January that he would run for workplace. Showing on Cypriot TV’s Alpha Cyprus – the place he wore trainers, shorts, a swimsuit jacket and three neck ties – he admitted he had by no means voted, knew little about politics and the European Union, however he might now not stand the continued rule of “folks -nerds” in Brussels.
When Panayiotou filed for candidacy in April, he acknowledged his purpose was to not get elected however to encourage younger folks to become involved in politics. The Mediterranean island nation has a inhabitants of round 900,000, of which greater than 683,000 are registered to vote on this weekend’s election.
Voter turnout in Cyprus reached nearly 59% – up from 45% within the 2019 election, with analysts attributing the rise partly to the “Fidias issue”. In response to evaluation of exit ballot knowledge by information web site Philenews, Panayiotou gained 40% of the vote from the 18-24 12 months previous age group and 28% of the vote from the 25-34 12 months previous age group.
Six members of the European Parliament from Cyprus had been elected. Panayiotou got here in third behind the conservative DISY (25%) which retained two of its members, and the communist occasion AKEL (22%) which misplaced considered one of its two members. Cypriot voters additionally elected a member of the European Parliament from the ultranationalist ELAM occasion (11%) and the centrist Diko occasion (10%). (BBC/Z-3)
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