Cyprus-based YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou has been elected as an independent MEP in the European Parliament — and he has a strong message for his fellow politicians.
Fidias Panayiotouhas become an infamous presence on the internet thanks to his controversial pranks, but now he’s focusing on a venture of a totally different kind: politics.
Instead, Panayioutou wants to stick it to the “nerds” running things in Brussels and aims to help young people get involved in governmental affairs.
“The parties should take it as a warning that they must modernize and listen to the people,” he said in astatement to CyBC.“We are writing history. Not just in Cyprus, but internationally.”
The YouTuber submitted himself for candidacy in April, taking 40% of votes from people aged 18-24 and 28% of votes from those aged 25-34,as per the BBC.
In an unexpected turn of events, voter turnout in Cyprus rose 45% from last year — something analysts are dubbing the “Fidias factor.”
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“I think I could do some seriously good sh*t that is so necessary, and in my head feels inevitable, but someone has to do it,” the influencer said.
It’s unclear what Cyrpus citizens can expect now that Panayiotou is in the European Parliament, but one thing can’t be denied — influencers are making a splash in politics and mobilizing their audiences to get involved.
Virginia Glaze is Dexerto’s Entertainment Editor in the US. She expertly covers trending stories across Twitch, Kick, YouTube, and TikTok – as well as fighting games and influencer boxing. Virginia also has bylines at Red Bull, GINX, and Bandai Namco. Contact her here: virginia.glaze@dexerto.com
