Fidias Panayiotou is a 24-year-old Cypriot YouTuber known for his numerous pranks, which do not always end well. Some time ago, he found himself in serious trouble over one of his pranks. The influencer posted a video recounting a trip to Japan, where he attempted to avoid paying for train tickets and breakfast at a five-star hotel. Despite the scandal, he continues to create online content, and his videos are achieving viral reach.

Fidias Panayiotou openly admits that he "professionally makes mistakes" and has little understanding of politics. In January of this year, he declared he would run in the election in an interview with a local television station, Alpha Cyprus. He also confessed that he had never voted before but was tired of the "nerds" in Brussels. His outfit perfectly complemented his speech: trainers, shorts, a suit jacket, and three neckties.

Despite his political inexperience, Fidias Panayiotou boldly entered the arena of EU Parliament elections. In April this year, he submitted his candidacy, not to win a seat but with a strong determination to inspire and motivate young people to get involved in politics. In the end, the influencer's campaign turned out to be a prank on himself.

Approximately 900,000 people live in Cyprus. Of these, 683,000 participated in the European Parliament election, resulting in a turnout of just under 59%, an increase from 45% in the 2019 elections. Analysts attribute this rise in part to the YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou. He came third in the election, with 19.4% of the country's population casting their ballots for him. Consequently, he became an MEP.

Source: BBC