In twelve days, Cypriot citizens will be called to exercise their right to vote. The numerous opinion polls that have captured the pre‑election mood in recent months depict a society that is, more than ever, in a state of political confusion. One in four voters remains undecided, while the balances that shaped the political and party landscape over recent decades, with the Cyprus problem at its core, are being overturned. The two major parties are shrinking, as is the centre, the far right is growing, and new political formations are drawing a significant number of votes from the pool of discontented citizens.
Under these circumstances, the main stake of the upcoming electoral contest is neither who will cross the finish line first nor how the party map will change. It is whether political formations, whether those that will enter parliament or those that will remain outside it, will respond to the messages being sent by society, which thirsts for change, does not trust, and especially among the younger generation, is unable to understand the contemporary world through the terms of the past.
Yes, Cyprus needs renewal of its political personnel. However, this change is not necessarily linked to new faces or new parties entering parliament. What is new will come from those who are first to listen and understand that younger citizens no longer fully identify with either the right or the left, nor do they measure progressivism or patriotism through ideological currents. What is new will come from those who choose to step outside their boxes, to adapt to new social needs and the more complex concerns of citizens. From those who choose the free market but also a strong welfare state. From those who are patriotic but also supportive of multiculturalism. From those who respect differing opinions rather than undermining them by constantly generating polarisation, which fuels disillusionment rather than participation.
It will come from those who will modernise and rationalise their political directions with a focus on people and the improvement of quality of life. From those who will emphasise human rights, improve everyday life by offering solutions to real problems, integrate digital democracy and restore trust in institutions.
In short, the only ideology that can stand today, providing stability in an era of complex challenges, in a divided country with an occupying army, with no development plan and at risk of disappearing from the map in a hundred years due to the climate crisis, is public dialogue without blinkers and labels, with more substance, in a language that every citizen can understand, with open procedures and transparency. Political parties will need to learn to cooperate again, tempering the logic they have transferred to society, which is also expressed through social media in the attitude of “you are either with us or against us.”
