The dynasties of the Presidential Palace
The uproar over the appointment of four new ministry director generals shows no sign of easing, with criticism of President Christodoulides still mounting. Some now say such things “never happened even under Anastasiades – only under Spyros Kyprianou.” Imagine a minister telling Anastasiades he wanted to appoint his wife as a director general; thirteen ashtrays and a cup of tea would’ve flown his way. Anastasiades might have appointed a niece or a loyal ally to a “special mission” post; say, speeding up passport approvals, and quietly moved them elsewhere later.
Christodoulides, by contrast, seems intent on founding a dynasty. He’s thinking long-term: appointing for the presidential race, but also for the day after, should he lose. After all, what will he do at 55 if he’s out of office? Why not start his own party, the Party of 'Koumbari'. Or, more fittingly, TBMP: The Best Men Party.
From Nicosia to NATO
Imaginary world leader or grand visionary? President Christodoulides now seems poised to found a new NATO -or perhaps an OSCE- for the Middle East, though he hasn’t said how. Which countries would join? Who would fund it? What would its ties be to Turkey and Greece, both already in NATO?
One thing’s certain, the organisation’s headquarters will likely be in Cyprus, either Nicosia or Geroskipou, with the latter said to have a slight edge. And as for who will serve as the first secretary general of this “Middle East NATO”? Christodoulides himself, unless, of course, First Lady Philippa Karsera decides to claim the post, given her “expertise” in security matters.
The Cretan vendetta
Enough already with the endless talk about that vendetta in Crete. Some call Cretans wild, but perhaps the truth is simpler: 2,000 bullets fired, two dead. That’s one fatality per 1,000 bullets. Who would want these shooters in their army? Better not to dwell on the vendetta itself, some villages in Crete seem to still live in the Middle Ages.
Saint Helena and the drought
Cyprus has been suffering from drought “since the time of Saint Helena,” according to Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou so, no complaints if the taps run dry. These historical analogies have become the go-to defence of our ministers. Just days ago, the justice minister compared a broad-daylight murder to the Louvre theft, saying “that too happened in broad daylight.”
But at least with water things are clear. In Saint Helena’s time, there were no drills, desalination plants or dams, only miracles. Today we have technology. We should be doing better.
Polling patterns and new alliances
Two new surveys nearing completion show similar trends. DISY and AKEL share the top spots, hovering around 20 percent. ELAM sits comfortably third at 13-15 percent. DIKO and ALMA appear locked in a battle for fourth, each between 7-10 percent. Volt looks likely to enter parliament too, setting the stage for a six-party House.
The wildcard is Feidias’s Direct Democracy Party, which, according to reports, is exploring cooperation with Christoforos Tornaritis and the 'Rise Up' Movement, with several business backers promising support.
Ankara keeps Erhurman waiting
Why has Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman’s Ankara visit been delayed, now set for Thursday 13 November? Mehmet Ali Talat was summoned within seven days, Mustafa Akinci within ten. Erhurman has been waiting 21 days.
Admittedly, Ankara is overwhelmed. Domestically, it’s wrestling with the Kurdish question, Abdullah Ocalan, and economic turmoil; externally, Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and Turkey’s participation in SAFE dominate the agenda. Cyprus is not a priority.
Yet Turkish diplomats insist there’s “ample room for manoeuvre.” Despite Erhurman’s declared return to federation talks, they note Erdogan and Tatar never actually spoke of “two independent states”, only “sovereign equality” and a “two-state solution within a federation.” A convenient pivot back to UN language is entirely possible.
The invisible hand of CoLA
As the Cypriot proverb goes, “even the lady feared the clumsy man.” The president sidelined his two ministers from the CoLA talks, believing he’d personally secure a deal, and the glory. Instead, he was met with a resounding “no” from the yprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEV) and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEVE), left speechless. The Presidential Palace was so rattled by failure that whispers began about “an invisible hand” that sabotaged the deal. They didn’t name names, but everyone pointed to Averof, the mighty Argaka Man.
In truth, the hapless negotiator lacks even basic bargaining sense. He gave employers everything they wanted on tax reform without securing leverage, and now pleads with them on his knees over CoLA. Naturally, they humiliated him, not even a token gesture in return.
Energy ties and quiet symbolism
The signing ceremony of the Energean and HelleniQ Energy deal for ExxonMobil’s entry into Block 2 in the Ionian Sea carried strong symbolism for Cyprus too. Behind the signing executives stood US interior and energy secretaries Doug Bergkamp and Chris Wright, Greek energy minister Stathis Papastavrou and US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Among the front-row guests: Cyprus’s energy minister, George Papanastasiou, watching with keen interest. During the major P-TEC conference he held several meetings under the 3+1 framework (Cyprus, Greece, Israel + the US). The US backing of a hydrocarbons agreement involving a Greek firm that has proposed bringing Israeli gas to Cyprus left a distinctly positive impression on the Cypriot delegation.
Business pressure at KEVE
At Thursday’s emergency meeting of KEVE’s executive committee, some even considered raising the issue of president Stavros Stavrou’s position. His close ties to the president and reluctance to confront the Palace over the CoLA framework drew criticism.
Eventually, Stavrou backed down, leading to a unanimous decision fully aligned with OEV. Sources say no one objects to his personal friendship with the president, or that he occasionally lends one of his villas for the first family’s holidays. The issue, rather, was ethics, he was allegedly in constant contact with the president while KEVE was still forming its position, something many saw as crossing the line.