President Nikos Christodoulides has indicated through his recent statements that serious diplomatic activity is currently underway regarding the Cyprus issue. The personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, Maria Angela Holguin, is conducting a new round of contacts, while the President himself has spoken about a potential expanded conference that could lead to an announcement on the resumption of talks from the point where they were interrupted.
This is undoubtedly a positive development. After years of stagnation, the personal involvement of the UN Secretary General, the meeting held with the Turkish President and the fact that discussions are being conducted on the substance of the issue, as the government states, create expectations.
However, a crucial question remains unanswered. Even if Antonio Guterres is preparing a new initiative or a framework that will allow the process to restart, who is preparing Cypriot society for this possibility?
In recent years, public debate on the Cyprus issue has almost disappeared. There is no meaningful dialogue regarding the convergences achieved, the points of disagreement, the content of a potential solution or the options that lie before us. The political leadership speaks of processes, meetings, timelines and diplomatic contacts, but avoids speaking openly to citizens about the substance.
This creates a dangerous gap because no negotiation can succeed if society remains uninvolved, uninformed or suspicious. Past experience has shown that international initiatives are not judged solely at the negotiating tables, but also by the acceptance they find in public opinion.
Therefore, if we are indeed facing a new effort by the Secretary General, the biggest challenge may not be Ankara, Athens or Brussels. It may be Cypriot society itself, which for years has not been invited to participate in an honest discussion about the future of the country.
United Nations initiatives can create opportunities. They cannot, however, substitute for the political preparation of a people who, sooner or later, will be called upon to decide their own fate.
