Anastasiades’ Own Ithaca
Revelations in Alexis Tsipras’s memoir, Ithaca, prompted former President Nicos Anastasiades to claim he had been vindicated over the Crans-Montana negotiations of July 2017. In truth, Tsipras said something quite different. After the talks collapsed, he did not publicly blame the Greek Cypriot side or Kotzias; as Greece’s Prime Minister, that would have been politically unthinkable for some. Yet he could not conceal the facts either.
Tsipras essentially confirmed what had long been reported: Anastasiades did not want to take the process to its conclusion. This is why he opposed the Greek Prime Minister travelling to Switzerland, even though Kotzias and Kalpadakis, who were already there, were urging him to come at once. Anastasiades phoned Tsipras, insisted the Turks were bluffing, and told him not to travel. When Kalpadakis objected, Victor Papadopoulos allegedly grabbed him by the neck, as if acting as a bouncer, and forced the matter.
So what was Tsipras really saying? That once Guterres had personally guaranteed that abolishing the system of guarantees was on the table, the three Prime Ministers, Tsipras, Yildirim and May, ought to have gone to Crans-Montana. If Turkey then backtracked, it would have been exposed rather than the Greek Cypriot side.
Did Anastasiades fail to understand this? Hardly. He is far too perceptive for that. His strategy was different. He wanted the talks to stall, to go into the presidential elections, to secure re-election, and then, as he reportedly told Cavusoglu, to restart negotiations from the beginning and discuss everything, even the possibility of a two-state arrangement.
Cyprus–Lebanon EEZ deal slips through
The EEZ delimitation agreement between Cyprus and Lebanon was signed directly by the executive branches of the two states, bypassing the Lebanese Parliament altogether. President Christodoulides signed on behalf of Cyprus, while Lebanon was represented by its Minister of Transport, Fayez Rasamny, a detail that raised some protocol questions. Why did Christodoulides not bring along the relevant Cypriot minister rather than signing it himself?
The more significant point, however, is that the agreement did not require approval from the Lebanese Parliament. For years, Parliament had blocked the deal because it was under the influence of Hezbollah, which maintained close ties with Turkey. As a result, Cyprus adopted the same approach Israel used for its agreement with Lebanon, signing it without any parliamentary involvement.
A diplomatic source told Thoukis that the deal could likely have passed through Parliament today, since Hezbollah MPs no longer hold the same stance. The agreement was approved unanimously by the Lebanese Cabinet, despite the presence of several Hezbollah ministers. The war in Gaza, the killing of senior Hezbollah figures in southern Lebanon, and the weakening of Tehran, the organisation’s main patron, have all shifted the outlook of Hezbollah’s Shiite leadership.
Moscow’s Church Power Play
Religion has long been a tool of political influence, from the schism between Constantinople and Rome to Luther’s break with Catholicism. Today, with the Ukraine crisis at the centre, the Russian Church has broken from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and now operates independently and competitively.
It has sought to hinder ties between Constantinople and Rome. Recently, it persuaded the Patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem to boycott Pope Leo XIV’s first visit to Turkey. Ecclesiastical circles in Athens warn that this sets a dangerous precedent and undermines efforts by Constantinople and the Vatican to protect Christians in the Middle East and support peaceful coexistence with Muslim communities.
Antioch and Jerusalem receive substantial funding from Moscow, firmly placing them within its influence. The Patriarchate of Alexandria has also been targeted, with Moscow recruiting around 200 priests and missionaries in Africa with higher salaries. Its influence is growing in Cyprus, where it guides certain Metropolises and encourages clergy autonomy while accusing the recognised Church of Cyprus of siding with heretics.
Cyprus prisons saga: privileged & protected
The former director of prisons, Anna Aristotelous, claims she knows nothing about the testimony of an Iranian inmate who said she was moved from the women’s wing to officials’ offices until dawn. The inmate, twice convicted for drug trafficking, revealed that prison regulations were widely ignored.
During the summer, she and a certain notorious group reportedly went swimming in Protaras with prison officials. The then-Minister of Justice was fully aware of these outings, and one of his political colleagues circulated photos to media and political offices.
In short, all authorities were aware of the abuse and privileges. Some inmates followed the rules, others enjoyed special treatment, some had phones to coordinate murders and courthouse arsons, while others served their sentences properly.
Tax Wealth, Not Pensioners!
The government calls it an “innovation”: cutting so-called high pensions to boost low-income ones. By their definition, “high” starts at €1,500. Someone receiving €1,620 will see it reduced to €1,590.
Seriously, who thought this made sense? In which country are pensions for people who worked over 33 years slashed to fund others? Raising inadequate pensions is necessary, but the money should come from taxing excessive wealth, not penalising pensioners. Cutting €30–40 from a €1,500 pension does nothing to solve the crisis for those on €550.
The Cabinet Shuffle That Never Was
The columnist has been invited to dinner by five ministers. The deal was simple: write once a month that the “Little Richelieu” was about to reshuffle the cabinet. Each time, the President postponed it. “As if I’m going to do what journalists write,” he would say, followed by the official line that the reshuffle is entirely his prerogative.
Now it is December. Ministers long rumoured to be reshuffled remain unshakeable. With only 15 working days left before Cyprus assumes the EU Presidency, who would risk a reshuffle now.