Cyprus has been plunged into political turmoil following the resignation of the country’s first lady and a senior presidential aide after the emergence of a leaked video that appears to show senior figures discussing methods to circumvent campaign finance laws and use charitable donations as a pathway to political influence. The scandal has triggered a criminal investigation, intensified scrutiny of political funding practices, and raised questions about governance and transparency at the highest levels of the Cypriot state.

At the center of the controversy is an eight-minute video that began circulating online last week, posted by an unidentified account on the social media platform X. The footage appears to capture private conversations involving Charalambos Charalambous, the director of the president’s office and brother-in-law of President Nikos Christodoulides, and former energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis. In the video, the men are seen speaking with individuals presented as foreign investors about presidential campaign financing, access to senior officials, and potential ways to bypass Cyprus’s statutory limits on campaign spending.

The fallout was swift. On January 11, First Lady Philippa Karsera Christodoulides announced her resignation as chair of the Independent Social Support Body, a state-created charity that provides financial assistance to students facing economic hardship. A day later, Charalambous tendered his resignation as director of the president’s office, citing the need to protect the credibility of the presidency and the government. President Christodoulides confirmed that he had accepted the resignation.

In her statement, the first lady said she was stepping down to safeguard her family’s integrity amid what she described as “false and malicious attacks.” She strongly denied that she or any member of the charity’s governing committee had personally benefited from the organization’s activities. Nonetheless, her departure underscored the gravity of the political crisis and the........

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