Education Minister Athena Michaelidou prioritized the transition to a modern, human-centred, and inclusive school system that cultivates abilities, skills, and knowledge for the next school year.
President Nikos Christodoulides will meet the UN Secretary General’s personal envoy for Cyprus, Maria Holguin, on Saturday. This meeting is a part of the second round of contacts aimed at finding common ground to restart negotiations on the Cyprus problem. Both sides have shown willingness to explore solutions, which is seen as a positive sign. During her visit, Holguin met with party leaders Nicholas Papadopoulos of Diko and Stefanos Stefanou of Akel. Papadopoulos emphasized that the solution to the Cyprus issue must be based on UN resolutions, high-level agreements, and a bizonal bicommunal federation. He expressed concerns about the Turkish side’s reluctance to restart negotiations, fearing a push towards a two-state solution or recognition of the pseudo state. Stefanou highlighted the need to adhere to the agreed basis for a solution and the importance of resuming negotiations from where they were suspended in 2017. He also mentioned the need for a positive agenda towards Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots, including incentives related to energy issues.
The opposition party Akel in Cyprus, led by Stefanos Stefanou, has urged the government to reduce electricity costs for households and businesses and has demanded an investigation into the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project at Vasiliko. Stefanou emphasized the need for Cyprus to transition to natural gas for electricity generation to avoid the high costs associated with burning heavy fuel oil, highlighting that Cyprus paid about €350 million in greenhouse gas emissions allowances last year. Akel has proposed several measures to alleviate high electricity prices, including reducing VAT on electricity from 19% to 9%, taxing windfall profits of banks and energy companies, promoting competitive tenders for renewables, and extending electricity subsidies.
Police are investigating a scandal at the Saint Habakkuk Monastery involving two main issues: the origin of hundreds of thousands of euros found within the monastery and serious allegations against Bishop Isaias by four monks. CID investigators are scheduled to meet with two monks to document their allegations, while the remaining two monks, implicated in the financial aspect, will also be summoned. The Economic Crime Investigation Office is examining potential financial offenses, focusing on how €800,000 in cash was accumulated, the monastery’s real estate holdings, and their acquisition. Police secured the cash and documents during urgent visits to the monastery. The case also involves accusations against Bishop Isaias of threats, assaults, and acts of violence. Additionally, two monks implicated in financial fraud were recorded engaging in sexual acts, with cameras set up to monitor an office and a bedroom within the monastery. The monastery’s website listed accounts for financial contributions from believers. Opposition party AKEL has initiated a discussion on the financial exploitation of faith and the need for legislative regulation.
Democratic Rally President Annita Demetriou is the most popular politician in Cyprus, with 66% of respondents having a positive opinion of her, according to a Pulse Market Research poll for Phileleftheros. AKEL General Secretary Stephanos Stephanou and Greens President Yiorgos Perdikis are the only other leaders with a positive opinion. Perdikis has a 47% acceptance level and Stephanou has a 45% borderline positive opinion. Government coalition Democratic Party President Nicholas Papadopoulos has 42% positive opinions, ELAM President Christos Christou has 36% positive opinions with a 10 percent rise over the past five years, and Socialist EDEK leader Marinos Sizopoulos has 21% positive opinions. DIPA President Marios Karoyian has 26% positive opinions.
President Christodoulides’ cabinet reshuffle on January 8 received mixed reactions, with a public opinion survey indicating majority support for five out of six changes. The survey, conducted by Pulse Market Research for Phileleftheros, found that 26% of respondents thought the changes were needed, 48% saw them as necessary, 10% disagreed, and 16% did not respond. DISY supporters mostly favored the reshuffle, with DIKO and AKEL supporters also showing significant support for some changes. The replacement of Michalis Hatzigiannis, Anna Koukides-Procopiou, Popi Kanari, Petros Xenophontos, and Philippos Chatzizacharias was generally supported, except for the removal of Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas, which faced opposition from 44% of respondents. The survey had a sample size of 600, covered nationwide urban and rural areas, used random-stratified multistage sampling, and was conducted via telephone interviews from February 20 to 26, 2024.
Leontios Ierodiakonou, in his analysis of the Cyprus problem, highlights the decision-making failures of Cyprus’s first two presidents following the Turkish invasion. He attributes these failures to various factors, including fear of losing popularity, protecting political careers, and personal interests, which hindered the ability to make difficult but necessary decisions. This approach led to setting unattainable targets that ultimately benefited Turkey by perpetuating a stalemate and allowing the consolidation of the invasion’s outcomes. Ierodiakonou also revisits historical instances, such as Makarios’s rejection of constitutional revisions agreed upon with the Turkish Cypriots and Spyros Kyprianou’s rejection of international plans for settlement, to illustrate missed opportunities for resolving the Cyprus problem.
Two monks, Archimandrite Nektarios and Archimandrite Porfirios, embroiled in allegations involving sex and nearly €1 million in cash, have claimed they are victims of corruption between the police and church. Their lawyers, Adrianna Klaedes and Nikolaos Koulouris, allege the monks were kidnapped from the Osiou Avakoum monastery in Fterikoudes by a group of about 30 people, 10 of whom were hooded, and were forced to sign false confessions. The operation was allegedly overseen by Tamasos Bishop Isias. The monks were reportedly kept in separate areas, grilled for hours under guard, and forbidden from contacting anyone. They were forced to sign their voluntary defrocking against their will. The lawyers claim these actions were carried out by police officers in civilian clothes under orders from Bishop Isias. The letter detailing these allegations was sent to President Nikos Christodoulides, the anti-corruption authority, the police chief, and the House human rights committee. The police have denied these allegations, stating the monks were told they would be called in later to give a statement. The Holy Synod has reported the monks to the police, and the financial crimes unit is investigating. The monks were allegedly found with €800,000 in cash and property in Greece and Limassol, and were caught on CCTV footage having sex with each other. This footage was shown during a Holy Synod session, which referred the monks to ecclesiastical court. The monks’ legal team claims the footage was obtained and edited by another monk without their consent, violating GDPR regulations. President Christodoulides has stated that justice will be served without the need for intervention from any party.
Less than three months before the European Parliament elections, a poll conducted by Pulse Market Research for Phileleftheros shows that 50% of voters are still undecided about their choice for the June 9th election. The poll results indicate a decline in voter interest for major parties, with the Democratic Rally (DISY) and AKEL both falling below 20% in voter preference, and all other parties in single digits. ELAM has risen to third place, while the Democratic Party (DIKO) has dropped to fourth. According to the poll, DISY is at 17%, AKEL at 14%, ELAM at 8%, DIKO at 7%, Socialist EDEK at 3%, the Greens at 2%, and the government alliance DIPA at 0.3%. More than a third of respondents are undecided, and 9% intend to abstain. Compared to the 2021 results, DISY has seen a 10% drop from almost 28%, and AKEL’s drop is attributed to the undecided vote, falling from 22.3% in the previous election. ELAM is the only party showing an increase, from 6.78% to 8%.
The text discusses the flaws in the traditional negotiations process regarding the Cyprus problem and suggests that a solution requires a slow, incremental process of “deliberative democracy” and strategic international coordination to incentivize leaders towards a negotiated settlement. The EU and the US play crucial roles in this process. The text highlights how the US improved its relationship with Greece, making it a strategic partner in southeastern Europe through military and energy developments, suggesting a similar approach could be applied to Cyprus. The text proposes enhancing Cyprus’s role in humanitarian assistance as a geopolitical incentive, mentioning the Republic of Cyprus’s involvement in evacuations and support in various crises. It discusses the EU’s engagement with Cyprus through the Task Force for the Turkish Cypriot community and suggests that strategic political decisions on Cyprus could be better managed by placing them under the Secretariat-General of the European Commission. The text concludes with the author’s credentials and involvement in Cyprus negotiations.