Akel on Saturday accused both the Anastasiades and incumbent Christodoulides governments for failing to tackle energy poverty during a protest over the increased cost of living and green taxes.

Hundreds of protestors marched from Eleftheria Square to the finance ministry, holding banners with slogans such as ‘Measures Now Against High Prices’ and ‘Green Taxes, a Bleak Future’.

Speaking in front of the ministry, Akel general-secretary Stefanos Stefanou said that “Akel, together with the people’s movement, does not merely protest – we demand and we achieve results.”

He highlighted that 165,000 people in Cyprus currently face the risk of poverty and social exclusion, while 250,000 live on less than €1,100 per month.

“Two out of three citizens either cannot make ends meet or struggle dramatically,” he said, adding that the average household is now forced to spend more than its available income.

He criticized the government for boasting about the economy’s overall performance while failing to address widespread economic hardship. “The Christodoulides government celebrates economic growth – but at the same time, 130,000 of our fellow citizens live below the poverty line.”

While the economy is expanding, living standards for a large portion of the population are not improving, he said.

Stefanou also warned of further financial strain due to upcoming green taxes, predicting that fuel prices will rise by about six cents per litre in the next year, increasing to eight cents in the following year and reaching 30 cents by 2033.

Additionally, he pointed to expected hikes in water prices and waste management costs. Further taxation from 2027, linked to emissions trading for transport, would also increase the cost of airline tickets, he said.

“We demand that the government abandon plans to impose these so-called green taxes,” Stefanou said, blaming the previous Anastasiades administration for failing to bring in natural gas for electricity production and accusing the Christodoulides government of continuing “this criminal incompetence.”

He also criticized the current government for not removing green tax obligations from the Recovery and Resilience Fund while making changes to other provisions.

He insisted that these taxes are not an EU requirement but a unilateral commitment by the previous administration. “The Disy government created this obligation on its own, forcing us to pay an extra levy,” he said.

Stefanou vowed that Akel would continue pressing the government, citing past successes in pushing for windfall taxes on banks, changes to the Pay as You Throw tax, VAT reductions on electricity, and housing issues.

“All these prove that our mobilisations and demands are not in vain,” he said.