Social media influencer Fidias Panayiotou on Wednesday submitted his candidacy for the forthcoming parliamentary elections in the Nicosia district, at the top of the ballot of Direct Democracy Cyprus, the party he founded and now leads.

Having arrived late at the registration centre, he missed his initial slot to file his candidacy, but eventually successfully handed in his paperwork.

“We are tired of hearing politicians speak in a wooden language,” he said.

“We are tired of hearing politicians fight. The fatigue we feel unites Direct Democracy’s 56 [candidates],” he said.

He then declared that “Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again” – although Einstein in fact never said that.

“Those of you who are happy, vote for the four major parties,” he said, urging “those who are not” to vote for his own party.

“Direct Democracy does not serve the system. We have shown it in practice, with the Direct Democracy app. The world is changing rapidly and the coming years will determine the future. Artificial intelligence can determine the future. Technology is advancing and politics must do the same,” he said.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.”

Panayiotou founded Direct Democracy Cyprus last year, on the premise that party members would, through a mobile application, be able to directly decide on matters of policy by voting on each issue in app-based polls.

He had shocked the Cypriot political scene a year prior by being elected as a member of the European Parliament as an independent candidate, and the party looks set to enter parliament at this election, consistently polling between fourth and sixth place.

Were he to be elected, he would have to choose whether to continue as an MEP or vacate the position to sit as an MP.