Alpha News

“Not a Kindergarten Kid”: Apology of Fidias Panayiotou Fails to Convince, Strong Reaction from KYSOA

Published January 28, 2026, 09:28

The apology video of MEP Fidias Panayiotou for his reference to “pellous” did not satisfy the Cyprus Organization for the Support of Persons with Disabilities (KYSOA). Mr. Panayiotou, in his apology video, acknowledged the mistake but argued that there were political motives behind the reaction it caused. KYSOA, with the authorization of Paralympic athlete Marios Filippou, disagreed with the portrayal of his image in the apology video, considering it “pretended” and offensive. The President of KYSOA, Themis Anthopoulou, stated that neither Mr. Panayiotou nor anyone from his team contacted Marios Filippou to apologize in person. Ms. Anthopoulou criticized Mr. Panayiotou's apology, describing it as full of “buts” and arguing that political figures are elected to change societies, not to justify existing prejudices. KYSOA disputes the existence of political motives, emphasizing that the defense of human rights cannot be considered a political act. Ms. Anthopoulou also wondered why the video was not edited to remove the reference, if it was indeed a mistake, and why it remains available online. Ms. Anthopoulou stressed that the reference to the term “pellous” is an insult to people with disabilities and that raising awareness of their rights is not achieved by traveling to Brussels. The European Disability Forum has also expressed its unacceptable opinion on Mr. Panayiotou's reference and is expected to take further action.