The Cypriot Left Popular Movement : Legacies of the past

This book discusses the history of the left labour movement in Cyprus, a country under British colonial rule for 82 years (1878-1960). The Cypriot left presents an interesting case study among scholars studying the European left movement due to its large electoral size, which has amounted to approximately to one third of the Cypriot population since the early 1940s. By surveying specific events, institutions and processes that form the untold history of the Cypriot labour movement, this book illustrates how the success of the left in Cyprus is based on a diverse and rich tradition which touches upon all aspects of Cyprus’s social, political, economic and cultural identity.

The Cypriot left has been largely represented by AKEL (Progressive Party of the Working People) since the early 1940s, as the successor of the Communist Party of Cyprus (1926). This book argues that the party’s history has contributed significantly in rendering the party electorally successful beyond the critical juncture of 1991. Offering analysis of a largely unexplored topic, this book makes an important contribution to scholarship on political parties in Cyprus and the study of radical left schemes of mobilisation in this region. It will be of interest to students and scholars researching Cypriot politics and radical left politics more generally.