Olive Pits
Small, Sharp & Bitter
The Leap of Odysseas or Ulysses' Gaze
Odysseas Michaelides' new political venture, Alma (The Leap), is moving with determined choreography but is it a pole vault toward change, a triple jump with wobbly landings, or a leap into the void? The roadmap is clear enough: an executive committee in September, a founding congress in November, and a slate of 56 parliamentary candidates by December.
His former technical chief Hassapopoulos, once in the inner circle, will not be on that ticket. His reputation for abusive behavior made him too toxic, though some in Odysseas’ camp still fantasize about having someone for the dirty work. The bigger unknown is Irene Charalambidou. To join the congress, she must leave left party AKEL by October. For now, word is she'll stay put, the party that raised her politically still has her loyalty.
Two States: Cyprob Taboo
The Politis revelations about former president Anastasiades’ private flirtation with a two-state solution hit a raw nerve. Yet anyone watching Cy politics closely knows this isn’t new. The GC political elite has been quietly entertaining the idea far more than it admits publicly. Federation remains the “official” line, but mostly as diplomatic camouflage.
Partition is the most painful concession. Could President Christodoulides survive the fallout? He buckled under criticism for his wildfire response; imagine him branded a “traitor.” The charade continues: leaders talk about federation to buy time, while secretly preparing society for the unmentionable. Meanwhile, UNFICYP keeps the island’s stalemate on life support but the UN budget axe is looming. Anyone listening?
Presidential Pension: Damned if You Do
After two years of public shaming, President Christodoulides announced that his early pension will be donated to seven charities a year until 2028. It’s not a fortune but the symbolism matters. Ordinary civil servants can only retire at 55. He cashed out at 45 after 15 years in the Foreign Ministry, courtesy of politics.
So why now? Rumor has it that it’s because his post-wildfire poll numbers collapsed and he needed a PR lifeline. The tragicomedy? Cypriots roasted him when he kept the pension, and now roast him for giving it away. At this rate, the man will need therapy before he finishes his term.
To Reshuffle or Not to Reshuffle
In Cyprus, presidents don’t lose sleep over geopolitics, they lose it over reshuffles. That, sadly, says it all. The fires burned Christodoulides' ratings, his coalition parties are bleeding votes to the far right and Odysseas’ Leap, and everyone wants a couple of ministries to use as voter bait before 2026.
The President is religious so he wants DISY’s blessing. That explains the recent pressure on party leader Annita Demetriou even pushed by ex-president Anastasiades from his mountain retreat. Annita, however, hasn’t budged. September’s polls will tell Christodoulides whether to gamble now or later. Worst case? He’s forced to govern with the very people he once mocked online as “trash.” Only Marios Garoyian, ever the gentleman, has suggested fresh blood: “good kids,” as he put it, educated, virtuous. Bless his optimism.
DISY: The Eternal Knife-Fight
Critics say DISY’s new leadership is failing to manage the chaos. But this is nothing new. The party has always been a family of daggers. Clerides fought Matsis. Anastasiades fought half his party over the Annan Plan. Rivals were sidelined, purged, or crushed.
The difference today is that Christodoulides not only defected, he actually won the presidency. That leverage, handing out positions and favors, has shaken DISY’s cohesion more than any rebellion before. Yet, as one party elder put it: “Two and a half years in, Christodoulides is already fading. But everyone’s personal ambitions for 2028 keep him alive.”
The Anastasiades File
Early September, the Anti-Corruption Authority receives the third installment of Gabrielle McIntyre’s report into Anastasiades’ dealings. A public summary will follow, and then the Legal Service must decide whether to pursue a criminal case. Not by the Attorney General, too close to Anastasiades, but by an independent prosecutor. Translation: the suspense isn’t over.
CYTA: Saudi Math
Andreas Neocleous, CEO of state telecom CYTA, is out after three years. He took profits from €100 million to €150 million, and boosted company value by half a billion. A raise? Impossible in Cyprus’ public-sector logic, where even salary bumps need legal opinions. In Saudi Arabia, however, they had a simpler approach: triple his pay. Decision made.