The development of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis forces us to reach a troubling conclusion. The state not only fails to function properly and serve society, but the political leadership of the government is also preventing its reform. Responsibility lies solely with President Nikos Christodoulides.
Instead of asking livestock farmers to comply with the instructions of the competent authorities and thereby demonstrating confidence in Cypriot technocrats and scientists, even if this meant the culling of the entire livestock population in Larnaca, and presenting them with a plan to rebuild their farms, the President invited them to the Presidential Palace and told them he would speak with the President of the European Commission.
With this move he created unrealistic expectations and, more importantly, caused an unnecessary delay in implementing the measures required to eradicate the disease.
If he was waiting to hear from Ursula von der Leyen that there would be a deviation from the European directive and that the animals would not have to be culled, then one of two things must have happened. Either his advisers, and especially Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou, failed to inform him of the rules in force, or they did inform him and he chose, for his own reasons, to conceal the reality.
What reasons might those be? We will not speculate. What is clear, however, is that President Christodoulides must provide explanations for the handling of a crisis that exposes the institutional weakness of the Republic of Cyprus.
Unfortunately, the cost of this inadequacy will not be borne only by livestock farmers. There is a serious risk that the entire country will pay the price.
European regulations governing foot-and-mouth disease are strict, and the consequences of mismanagement could include restrictions on trade and movement, with repercussions that could even extend to the tourism sector.
The data already available are worrying. The spread of the disease beyond Larnaca remains a possibility that cannot be ruled out.
If the outbreak escapes the boundaries of the Larnaca district, the country will face a crisis without precedent. At that point, the issue will no longer be the failure to manage an animal disease. It will be a failure that threatens the Cypriot economy as a whole.
Should such an undesirable development occur, the responsibility will lie entirely with President Christodoulides and his team at the Presidential Palace.
Cyprus does not need a president who declares himself ready for battle yet ultimately runs behind events. What the country requires is a modern state staffed by officials who demonstrate professionalism in the exercise of their duties and ensure the proper functioning of public administration.