Progressive Party of Working People

Progressive Party of Working People

Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού
*Emekçi Halkın İlerici Partisi*
Progressive Party of Working People Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού; Emekçi Halkın İlerici Partisi
Abbreviation	AKEL
General Secretary	Stefanos Stefanou
Founded	15 August 1926
Headquarters	Nicosia
Newspaper	Haravgi
Student wing	KKF Progressive
Youth wing	EDON
Women's wing	POGO
Labour wing	PEO
Ideology	Communism; Marxism–Leninism; Cypriot nationalism; Federalism; Soft Euroscepticism;
Political position	Left-wing to far-left
European affiliation	Party of the European Left (observer)
International affiliation	IMCWP
European Parliament group	The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
Colours	Red
House of Representatives	15 / 56
European Parliament	2 / 6
Municipal Councils	123 / 478
Website
	www.akel.org.cy
	Politics of Cyprus; Political parties; Elections;

The Progressive Party of Working People (Greek: Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζόμενου Λαού, Anorthotikó Kómma Ergazómenou Laoú; abbr. ΑΚΕΛ, AKEL; Turkish: Emekçi Halkın İlerici Partisi) is a Marxist–Leninist^[4]^[5]^[12] communist party^[2]^[3] in Cyprus.

AKEL is one of the two major parties in Cyprus, and it supports a federal solution of the internal aspect of the Cyprus problem and it places particular emphasis on rapprochement with the Turkish Cypriots. It supported entry into the European Union with certain reservations. Initially supportive of the Annan Plan in 2004, the AKEL ultimately opposed the plan because the UN Security Council did not provide guarantees on post-reunification security.^[13]

As a strong supporter of welfare benefits and nationalization, AKEL successfully put into practice several social measures to support the economic welfare of Cypriots during the late-2000s financial crisis, such as increasing low pensions by 30% and strengthening the welfare benefits given to university students to €12 million per year. Overall, €1.2 billion were spent on welfare benefits during the first three years that AKEL was in power, with various improvements made in social welfare provision.^[4]^[5] The party has been in opposition since the 2013 election. The party's candidate was defeated in the 2018 presidential election against the incumbent president. For the 2023 presidential election, the party supported independent candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis, who was also defeated.^[14]

^ Kades, Andria (4 July 2021). "Stephanos Stephanou elected as Akel's new secretary-general with 72% of votes". Cyprus Mail.
^ ^a ^b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2016). "Cyprus". Parties and Elections in Europe.
^ ^a ^b ^c Anastasiou, Harry (2008). The Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism versus Europeanization]. Syracuse UP. p. 163. ISBN 9780815631972.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Annual report 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Annual report 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
^ "Cypriotism in the Twenty-First Century". 17 August 2018.
^ "Cypriotism in the Twenty-First Century". 17 August 2018.
^ Dunphy, Richard (2007). "Red Flag Still Flying? Explaining AKEL – Cyprus's Communist Anomaly". Party Politics. 13 (3). doi:10.1177/1354068807071268. S2CID 145498752.
^ Papadakis, Yiannis; Peristianis, Nicos; Welz, Gisela (18 July 2016). Divided Cyprus: Modernity, History, and an Island in Conflict. Indiana University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-253-11191-3. Retrieved 25 October 2020. This is admittedly a rough division that focuses on the largest parties in Cyprus: left-wing AKEL on the Greek Cypriot side...
^ Uwe Backes, Patrick Moreau, Communist and Post-Communist Parties in Europe, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008, ISBN 9783525369128, p. 268 ss.
^ Contemporary Far Left Parties in Europe From Marxism to the Mainstream? Luke March, 2008, P.4
^ Helena Smith, Cyprus gets ready for a communist 'takeover', The Guardian, 2008
^ Wright, George (22 April 2004). "Greek Cypriot leaders reject Annan plan". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2019. The AKEL communist party had earlier suggested it might throw its weight behind the Annan plan and help turn around the widespread antipathy of the Greek-Cypriot south. But today its leadership said it had decided to oppose the plan because the UN security council had not provided guarantees on post-reunification security.
^ "Cyprus ex-foreign minister Christodoulides elected president". 12 February 2023.

[1] Kades, Andria (4 July 2021). "Stephanos Stephanou elected as Akel's new secretary-general with 72% of votes". Cyprus Mail.

[Nordsieck-2] Nordsieck, Wolfram (2016). "Cyprus". Parties and Elections in Europe.

[COM1-3] Anastasiou, Harry (2008). The Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism versus Europeanization]. Syracuse UP. p. 163. ISBN 9780815631972.

[:0-4] "Annual report 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

[:1-5] "Annual report 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

[6] "Cypriotism in the Twenty-First Century". 17 August 2018.

[7] "Cypriotism in the Twenty-First Century". 17 August 2018.

[dunphy-8] Dunphy, Richard (2007). "Red Flag Still Flying? Explaining AKEL – Cyprus's Communist Anomaly". Party Politics. 13 (3). doi:10.1177/1354068807071268. S2CID 145498752.

[9] Papadakis, Yiannis; Peristianis, Nicos; Welz, Gisela (18 July 2016). Divided Cyprus: Modernity, History, and an Island in Conflict. Indiana University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-253-11191-3. Retrieved 25 October 2020. This is admittedly a rough division that focuses on the largest parties in Cyprus: left-wing AKEL on the Greek Cypriot side...

[10] Uwe Backes, Patrick Moreau, Communist and Post-Communist Parties in Europe, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008, ISBN 9783525369128, p. 268 ss.

[11] Contemporary Far Left Parties in Europe From Marxism to the Mainstream? Luke March, 2008, P.4

[Guardian-12] Helena Smith, Cyprus gets ready for a communist 'takeover', The Guardian, 2008

[13] Wright, George (22 April 2004). "Greek Cypriot leaders reject Annan plan". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2019. The AKEL communist party had earlier suggested it might throw its weight behind the Annan plan and help turn around the widespread antipathy of the Greek-Cypriot south. But today its leadership said it had decided to oppose the plan because the UN security council had not provided guarantees on post-reunification security.

[14] "Cyprus ex-foreign minister Christodoulides elected president". 12 February 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]