YouTuber Enters Parliament

A viral YouTuber-turned-politician, Fidias Panayiotou, just snagged a European Parliament seat while also winning a spot in Cyprus’s House of Representatives — and he’s choosing to keep the EU gig to boost his new Direct Democracy party. Only six months old, the party lets regular citizens run for office via online applications and won four seats without traditional campaigning. Fidias, who got the most votes for his party, is giving up his Cypriot seat to let someone else take it — saying he’s thrilled but surprised by the outcome, especially after a bigger win in the June EU election. His rise is fueled by wild online stunts, a viral hug from Elon Musk, and a public appetite for political outsiders. Now he’s using social media to explain his votes and defend his candid approach — even as he sparks controversy over Ukraine and Ukrainian child deportations — all while facing off against ultranationalist rivals who also surged in the polls. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/454fce77496f417e