Hardly a week passes in Cyprus without some form of announcement proclaiming success – whether in the economy, governance, foreign policy or the Cyprus issue. In parallel, most institutional actors, including political parties and business associations, replicate the same approach, even when underlying disagreements and concerns remain evident.
No one, however well‑intentioned, can continue to ignore the reality for long. Citizens experience daily the shortcomings and inefficiencies around them, often paying for repeated mistakes, poor management, conflicts of interest and a lack of substance across sectors that are meant to move the country forward.
It is widely understood that the deep reforms required – genuine digital transformation, modernisation of processes and regulatory frameworks, and a fundamental shift in how the state and its resources are managed – are not being pursued as they should be.
At the same time, the private sector appears to project an image of change in the production model, while in practice waiting for developments such as Schengen accession to sustain existing patterns. In this environment, it too has adopted a model centred on projecting outcomes rather than achieving them.
The same dynamic is evident in politics. It became particularly clear in the period leading up to the recent parliamentary elections.
This assessment may not apply equally to those who continue to try, whether in politics, the economy or wider society. However, it matters little to those who have turned the appearance of achievement into a working model, often because the alternative – meaningful reform, sustainable growth and substantive progress – is more challenging and less appealing.
In this context, a few social media posts, an announcement about something that “will happen,” and a photograph alongside another public figure can suffice to create the impression of success.
