Interview with Stavros Antoniou
Strengthening Volt organisationally is the primary objective of the party's new leadership, newly elected co-president Pieros Karoullas tells Politis. He also discusses the constitutional changes being promoted, stressing that constitutional patriotism will be among the proposals submitted to party members for discussion and approval.
He also addresses the absence of Turkish Cypriots from the party's new collective bodies and the objective difficulties created by division and the status quo. Regarding the presidential elections, he notes that "Averof Neophytou's positions on the Cyprus issue include certain assessments that coincide with our own", while adding that "it is still far too early to discuss specific names".
You have been elected co-president for a two-year term. What is your main objective?
To make Volt a party with real roots in society. To strengthen our organisational structure, establish a meaningful presence beyond the major urban centres and communicate our vision for Cyprus more clearly.
For me, Volt's political necessity is beyond question. Cyprus needs a political force that links reunification to a modern European state, with strong institutions and equal opportunities for all. That is the role we want Volt to fulfil.
The challenge is to reach more of our fellow citizens, listen to them and involve them in our effort. We are not starting from scratch. 11,487 citizens placed their trust in us and gave us a mandate to continue. We have two years of hard work ahead of us.
I would rather be judged on what we build than on what we promise.
Parliamentary elections
At the Electoral Congress there was a review of the party's parliamentary election defeat. What were the main reasons Volt failed to enter parliament?
We carried out a substantial review process involving members, non-members and our parliamentary candidates.
The main conclusion was that our greatest weakness was our organisational structure. Obviously, there were other reasons why we failed to enter parliament as well. However, we believe we lacked the organisational capacity to maintain our momentum against the consolidation of the larger parties, particularly in the final stretch of the campaign.
At the same time, our political message did not reach all regions of Cyprus with the same clarity and intensity.
I do not believe the problem was that citizens rejected what we stand for. The problem was that we did not manage to reach enough of them.
We will not wait for society to come to Volt. It is our job to go to society.
At one point during the Electoral Congress there was a heated discussion between former MP Alexandra Attalides and former co-president Panos Parra regarding the handling of the "Sandy" affair. Are political responsibilities being attributed to the previous leadership?
Intense discussions do not concern me.
When a political party includes people with strong opinions, disagreements are natural, especially after a disappointing election result.
Personally, I consider it healthy for our members to be able to express themselves freely, even when they disagree strongly. What matters is mutual respect and the ability to move forward collectively.
Regarding the "Santi" affair, I do not believe it was an issue that Volt's previous leadership could essentially investigate or manage. It is now before the courts.
What we must do is evaluate our own political functioning through the feedback we receive from all our members and officials.
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots participated in the party's collective bodies and Volt therefore described itself as a bicommunal party. The new leadership contains no Turkish Cypriot representatives. Why was there no interest?
Volt is not a bicommunal party simply because Turkish Cypriots participate in its bodies.
It is bicommunal because of its political identity, the work of the rapprochement committee, which is one of our most active committees, the daily activity of our members and, above all, our vision for the future of Cyprus.
Naturally, I would have liked Turkish Cypriot representation in the current composition of our collective bodies.
However, we cannot assume that this absence signifies a lack of interest.
Let us not overlook the objective difficulties faced by our Turkish Cypriot compatriots. Division and the current status quo create additional obstacles to their political participation.
For us, strengthening our presence throughout the island is a priority. We want more Turkish Cypriots to participate actively and seek positions in the collective bodies.
Bicommunality is not limited to the composition of a political council. It must be demonstrated every day through actions.
Constitutional changes
Volt is preparing for a Constitutional Congress. Are significant changes expected? Will there be a clearer definition of the party's ideological character?
Yes, and our goal is to proceed with meaningful changes.
For example, in our proposed values we describe a constitutional patriotism that embraces all Cypriots, regardless of community, and is clearly connected to liberation and reunification on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality.
We also speak about freedom, equality, the rule of law, European integration and an economy that encourages entrepreneurship while also ensuring social justice.
These are proposals that will be submitted to our members for discussion and approval, and which will naturally stimulate dialogue.
At the same time, an equally important goal is to review specific constitutional provisions, clarify responsibilities and procedures and improve the way we operate.
Presidential elections
Parties have begun consultations regarding the presidential election. Does Volt have a plan? Does it rule out cooperation with any parties?
First, through our collective bodies, we will formulate a political framework with specific principles and priorities. We will then hold discussions with parties and potential candidates where there is meaningful scope for convergence.
Within that collective discussion, we will examine, for example, each candidate's strategy for resolving the Cyprus issue, which remains a central priority for Volt, as well as their policy priorities for governing the country.
Obviously, cooperation is extremely difficult with political forces with which we have fundamental disagreements on most issues.
Volt will not give a blank cheque to anyone.
We want to contribute meaningfully to the discussion about the country's future while maintaining our political autonomy.
The form of our participation in the presidential election will be decided collectively on the basis of the political framework we develop.
Are reports correct that Averof Neophytou's pre-election statements on the Cyprus issue were viewed positively by Volt members?
Averof Neophytou's positions on the Cyprus issue include certain assessments that coincide with our own.
I cannot speak on behalf of every member regarding how they evaluated those statements.
As a party that places the Cyprus issue at the top of its priorities, however, we view positively any positions that are close to our own, regardless of the political space from which they originate.
Nevertheless, names are already being discussed in relation to the presidential election, including Andreas Mavroyiannis and Tasos Yiasemides. Are you ready to discuss cooperation based on these specific individuals?
It is still far too early to discuss specific names while the political landscape remains fluid.
We are open to dialogue on cooperation based on political convergences.
The mention of names alone, however, is not sufficient for us to take a position for or against any potential candidacy.
We need to know the programme, the commitments and the overall political framework.
Individuals are of course important, as are their credibility and ability to implement what they propose.
On that basis, we will collectively evaluate every potential candidacy according to our own principles, a credible programme of governance and a specific strategy for restarting negotiations and resolving the Cyprus issue.
