Fidias Panayiotou rubbishes EU funds complaint in TikTok rebuttal
Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou has responded to a complaint under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, posting a video on social media platform TikTok on Wednesday.
The complaint alleges possible embezzlement of EU funds.
“They accused me of being the most lying and deceitful MEP,” Panayiotou says in the video, dismissing the allegations.
He denied using European Parliament funds to pay the rent of his apartment in Limassol, which he shares with his fiancée, remarking that they “live in a small space that we rent for €1,200 and pay with our own money”.
He also addressed claims regarding a separate office near his apartment used by his team.
The office rent is €2,300 per month, of which €1,600 is paid by the European Parliament, while he supposedly covers the remaining €700.
Panayiotou said he uses the space to film podcasts and has informed the European Parliament of this use.
On accusations concerning the party app “Agora” he said, “Through it, people vote for my decisions in the European Parliament,” adding that costs linked to the Parliament’s functions are covered by EU funds.
Panayiotou responded to screenshots showing transfers to his account from employees, explaining, “Because the European Parliament is often late in paying them, I lend them money so they do not go unpaid. When the Parliament sends their salary, they send it back to me,” claiming approval from the European Parliament for the arrangement.
He announced he will publish a monthly breakdown of his spending, saying, “I will show exactly what I spent and for what purpose.”
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has not commented on the complaint, citing standard policy to avoid jeopardising ongoing investigations.
Sources said the office acts autonomously and informs local authorities only at the start of investigative procedures.
The complaint focuses on the rental of a Limassol apartment declared as a “political office”, as well as social media content displaying an apparently lavish lifestyle of parties and unboxing videos of luxury products.
Panayiotou founded the Direct Democracy party in October 2025 and has yet to confirm whether he will run in upcoming parliamentary elections.
He says internal party elections for parliamentary candidates will take place via the “direct democracy” app between March 3 and 5, with around 20,000 members expected to vote.