On November 5, 2025, Esomar Connect organized an information day in Nicosia to promote ethical polling practices during Cyprus’ pre-election period, highlighting the importance of the code of conduct and trust in opinion research.
On November 5, 2025, Esomar Connect held an information day titled “Launching Integrity: Ethical Polling for Cyprus’ Pre-Election Period” in Nicosia, in collaboration with the Cyprus Association of Polling and Market Research Companies (SEDEAK).
The event aimed to emphasize the importance of the Code of Conduct for conducting and presenting opinion polls, surveys, and market studies, fostering trust among citizens, institutions, and research companies.
Eleni Marangou, President of SEDEAK, highlighted the role of polls as an objective reflection of societal views, not as election predictors.
Joachim Bretcha, Global General Manager of ESOMAR, acknowledged Cyprus as a strategic research hub and stressed the importance of self-regulation, transparency, credibility, and the freedom to conduct opinion polls for democratic expression.
Lysandros Hatzilambrou discussed ESOMAR’s history, its standards, and the need to update the code to address recent sector changes, including artificial intelligence, market research ecosystem expansion, and trust maintenance amid misinformation and social media challenges.
The event included two panel discussions. The first addressed the relationship between political parties and polls, with participation from parliamentary and party leaders, focusing on the use and regulation of polls in politics.
The second panel discussed challenges in conducting polls, such as citizen participation, methodology reliability, and public education, with contributions from industry professionals.
Participants agreed on the need for ongoing discussions to establish fair and reliable regulations that uphold the integrity of poll results while safeguarding the public’s right to express opinions.
