Phidias Panagiotou in BIMA: “Social networks can deliver down governments” – 2024-06-18 16:07:04

“You catch me within the automobile, I am going to a home within the mountains, to settle down, assume and abstain from expertise” solutions spontaneously Phidias Panagiotou in our first verse story.

Phidias (born in 2000) is just 24 years previous, the son of a priest and has 5 different siblings. He lives within the constellation of his election as an MEP, having completed in third place (leaving conventional events far behind) with a share of 19.4%, that’s, in absolute numbers he has obtained 71,330 votes.

Phidias Panagiotou has not allied himself with any occasion, he got here down as an unbiased and launched himself as apolitical – fidias_Cyprus. He thus claimed one of many six European Parliament seats, utilizing his social networks as his “weapons”, that are additionally the most important funding of his life, during which he gathers 5 million members.

The thought for the election race was given to him by a Cypriot politician, with Phidias replying:Why not?”. A milestone in his life was his assembly with Elon Musk, which he achieved after deciding to remain out of his firm’s workplaces for greater than 100 days, simply to hug him.

Our date was “closed” by his sister Anna, which has been and can stay by his facet all through this journey. He reads a e-book every week and doesn’t rule out the situation of “losing interest” of the European Parliament in just a few years. Straight, brave, impudent, fast. Phidias will get straight to the purpose, speaks solely within the Cypriot dialect and repeats that his aim is to be helpful.

What has modified in your life now that you’re an MEP?

“Nothing has modified in my life, I imagine that the journey is extra essential than the vacation spot. I can let you know that the “enthusiasm” I had is gone, however now a brand new journey begins that I need to reply to. I’ve already spoken to a number of MEPs who’re giving me recommendation on what to do and I’m enthusiastic about it.

I wish to make white faces of all those that voted for me and I’ll attempt to be helpful on this place as nicely, as I used to be as a YouTuber and within the military the place I served in essentially the most tough physique, within the Greek Military, from which I imagine I used to be helpful in Cyprus Democracy”.

Your path exhibits that you just put excessive challenges on your self. Why do that;

“I do it as a result of I wish to perceive the world round me. While you set nice challenges, they lead you to attain nice objectives and nice classes. Conversely, once you set small objectives – like, for instance, to chop the leaves off my tree – it is nonetheless a aim, but it surely’s a small one.

So my motivation is the massive objectives, in order that by means of them I may be helpful and be taught.”

Was it such a helpful aim that you just spent 100 days outdoors of Elon Musk’s firm in an effort to hug him?

“It was helpful for me, sure, personally and professionally. Nevertheless it was on the identical time helpful for society as a result of it obtained 500 million views, as a man, principally a “no one”, from a small nation, who needs to satisfy Elon Musk, due to his persistence and stubbornness, he truly succeeds forces the richest man on the earth to spend time with him. That is precisely what’s helpful. The “do not surrender” message.

Elon Musk was personally my favourite individual to satisfy. I stayed out of his firm for 100 days till I used to be in a position to hug him – and make movies for my YouTube channel too. One other excessive video I wish to do was to not eat meals for 30 days – as a result of as Socrates stated, understanding your self is the best knowledge – and I really feel that by means of difficulties you end up and be taught and issues in regards to the world round you.

All this works and considerably “addictive” for me, to create a really tough setting to see how I’ll reply and to know myself higher and to be helpful and to have an fascinating life. Let’s not neglect that we’re just a few years into this world and we should make this journey fascinating.”

Is the European Parliament for you a problem of this magnitude?

“Sure, it’s a nice problem. I’ve no data of politics. I’ve sufficient data, nevertheless, in specialised topics, as a result of I interviewed individuals who had been honored with the Nobel Prize, but in addition a number of the smartest individuals on the earth. I am not your common 24 yr previous, I learn a e-book every week and I want that to relationship women.

Effectively, on this setting I’ll enhance, I’ll develop, I imagine that I can be very helpful, with my biggest weapon after all being social networks. I imagine that social networks can deliver down governments, so I also can use them within the European Parliament to spotlight Cyprus and to sentence issues. And the followers I’ve right now are greater than the European Union has in its accounts. I’ve 5 million – whereas they’ve 3 million.”

Have you considered which of the Euro-parties you’ll be part of?

“I am between unbiased, Inexperienced, Renew and perhaps make my very own political group with different independents.”

What do you assume your success is because of?

“My success was that I informed the reality and solely the reality, I stated many occasions the info change, I did not disguise who I’m, I confirmed the world 100% of the info of my life and I additionally stated that every one this may occasionally change in some unspecified time in the future . In order that’s in all probability what satisfied the individuals, that is what they wanted and that is why they voted for me.”