DISY serves a widely diverse spectrum of voters, ranging from hard-line Greek Cypriot nationalists and anti-communists to humanist liberals with post-materialist and post-modern values who advocate human rights.[10] DISY's platform focuses on free enterprise economic policies, lower direct taxes and higher indirect taxes, economic development, opposing government deficits, investments in infrastructure, and a practical solution to the Cyprus dispute (though the party base is traditionally more hawkish and hard-line than the party leadership). It is the most explicitly Atlanticist and pro-NATO of Cyprus's parties, and draws its support from middle-class professionals, businessmen, and white-collar employees.[11]
The leadership of the Democratic Rally is generally less hard-line than the party base, and in 2004 supported the Annan Plan for the re-unification of Cyprus, believing that further adjustments could be made afterwards. Following the Plan's overwhelming rejection by the Greek Cypriot Community, four MPs (Sillouris, Prodromou, Erotokritou, Taramoundas) who had opposed the party line were expelled and a number of members willingly resigned. The expelled MPs formed a party called European Democracy. In 2005 European Democracy merged with New Horizons and created European Party. Former party president Yiannakis Matsis headed a splinter coalition called For Europe in the European Parliamentary Election. Matsis gained a seat in the European parliament, also joining the EPP group (while still remaining a member of DISY).
In 2013, Nicos Anastasiades of the Democratic Rally, was elected as the President of Cyprus. In 2018, President Anastasiades was re-elected tor a second term with a wide margin over his communist opponent.[12]
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