In a different kind of interview with Sunday’s *Alpha* and Neoklis Neokleous, the General Secretary of AKEL reflects on his past, recounting his childhood and how his path to politics was a natural progression in his life.

READ ALSO: S. Stefanou: I Would Return to Gerolakko Even Under Turkish Cypriot Administration | AlphaNews

It all
began with the decision to leave soccer behind and seek new experiences.

“I played for Omonia for two years starting in my second year of high school, through my third year, and during my two years of military service—which lasted 26 months— I was one of those who served in the military while playing soccer. As soon as I completed my service, I left for university in Sofia.”
_{Stefanos Stefanou – General Secretary of AKEL}

He received a scholarship from the movement, as did thousands of others who studied at that time in the socialist countries of Eastern Europe. There, he became more deeply involved in politics and, as he puts it, “naturally” went on to pursue a career in politics.

Although the initial inspiration came from his father, the political climate at the time, as he explains, shaped the entire youth generation. “We were also living

in a highly politicized era. It was the period of EOKA B’s illegal activities; we had only one television channel back then, black-and-white, RIK. Every day we heard discussions about Grivas’s illegal activities. We went to rallies and demonstrations to support Makarios.  Then the coup took place, followed by the invasion, the refugee crisis, and the demonstrations.”
_{Stefanos Stefanou – General Secretary of AKEL}

The retrospective continues, delving into childhood memories, the life he left behind in Gerolakkos due to the invasion, and his concerns at the time, which were nothing more than finding ways to make makeshift toys.

He also talks about the first time he saw his house again. “I’ve never

felt that way again. Honestly, when we went to the house, after the Turkish Cypriot—who was there first—asked if the people living in the house were Turkish Cypriots or Greek Cypriots, because he told me that if they were Greek Cypriots, we wouldn’t go in. They were Turkish Cypriots. In fact, the woman—Fatma—knew and still knows Greek very well, And when I fell a little behind and they said something to her in Turkish, Fatma came over, took me in her arms, and said to me, “Welcome home.” I was speechless.”
_{Stefanos Stefanou – General Secretary of AKEL}

Meanwhile, he responds to the question of what he would do in the event of a settlement plan that the left agrees to but does not include Gerolakkos under Greek Cypriot administration.
 
“So you would go live in Gerolakkos even under Turkish Cypriot administration—a retiree like Stefanos Stefanou. Of course, of course a retiree would want to revisit his childhood in Gerolakkos.”
<sub>Stefanos Stefanou – General Secretary of AKEL

He</sub> also makes special mention of the trusted person by his side.

“Without my wife, I might not have been able to take on the roles I’ve assumed, and in that sense, because I trust her judgment not only when it comes to taking on various responsibilities, but also regarding the serious decisions we must make. I often discuss these matters with my wife to hear her opinion.”
_{Stefanos Stefanou – General Secretary of AKEL}

At the same time, he recounts what he learned from his experience as government spokesperson under Dimitris Christofias, making special mention of Mari, the tragic events that left a deep mark on him, and the “cannibalism,” as he puts it, that he was called upon to confront. At the same time, he acknowledges the need for better management of the situation.

Watch Kleio Vourkou’s report: