64% of respondents say they are dissatisfied, while 35% say they are satisfied
Nearly three years after Nikos Christodoulides was elected to lead the country, citizens are assessing his image and his government’s performance by sector, and expressing their views on the country’s progress to date. President Christodoulides appears to be recording a low approval rating—one that has stabilized compared to previous polls—regarding his public image and the way he carries out his duties. Citizens also appear pessimistic about the country’s future trajectory. Foreign policy is emerging as his strongest suit, in contrast to domestic governance, which is seen as a weakness. Of particular interest is how the political parties and their voters are positioning themselves in relation to him.
An analysis of the findings from the poll conducted by Rai Consultants Ltd. on behalf of “Alpha” reveals that only 35% of citizens say they are satisfied with the way the President of the Republic is performing his duties, while 64% of those surveyed express dissatisfaction. More specifically, 9% of respondents are very satisfied, 26% are fairly satisfied, while 38% say they are not very satisfied. Twenty-six percent of respondents say they are not at all satisfied.
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It is worth noting that “alpha” began tracking satisfaction rates regarding Nikos Christodoulides’s governance last January. That was the period when satisfaction ratings were at their lowest, with the President’s approval rating at 33% and the government’s at 31%. It is worth noting that this was the same period when the “videogate” scandal broke, and this appears to have contributed to the negative perception recorded.
The highest satisfaction rates were recorded in March and May, with March registering a 39% satisfaction rate and May reaching 41%. The war in Iran, the President’s handling of the crisis, and the Republic of Cyprus’s EU Presidency all appear to have played a role in the increase in the satisfaction rate. Last September, the President recorded a 35% approval rating, while the government recorded a 33% rating.
This raises the question of how these figures affect Nicos Christodoulides’ bid for reelection. “These figures show that the current assessment of governance is more negative than positive,” said said Olympios Toumazos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rai Consultants Ltd. He explains, however, that experience in Cyprus as well as abroad shows that satisfaction with the performance of presidential duties does not necessarily correlate with voting intentions in a futureelection.
The comparison
An important factor is whether other presidents recorded the same approval ratings during the same period, such as Nicos Anastasiades during his first term, which led to his reelection. According to Mr. Toumazos, Anastasiades’ approval ratings ranged from 45% to 50%. Significantly higher, therefore, than those of Nicos Christodoulides. “At the same time, however,” he explains, “we must examine the state of the economy that Nicos Anastasiades inherited and left behind, as well as the geopolitical situation and developments regarding the Cyprus issue.”
As Mr. Toumazos notes, on the economic front, Anastasiades inherited a bankrupt economy in dire straits, and there has been significant improvement across all indicators, such as GDP and unemployment. “In contrast, Christodoulides started with a very healthy economy and managed to maintain and strengthen it. The geopolitical situation for Christodoulides is much worse, and the Cyprus issue is at a much more difficult juncture. “For these reasons, the lower satisfaction with Christodoulides’ administration is justified and does not necessarily mean lower voting intention rates,” he notes.
Two Worlds
Citizens are particularly pessimistic about the country’s trajectory. 59% say it is heading in the wrong direction, while just 21% say it is heading in the right direction, and 18% of respondents say it is neither heading in the right nor the wrong direction.
A particularly interesting aspect concerns how citizens assess the country’s domestic and foreign governance. It is confirmed that foreign policy is Nikos Christodoulides’s strong suit, while domestic governance is fraught with challenges. Only 29% say they are satisfied, 69% are dissatisfied, and 7% are very dissatisfied with how domestic governance is being handled. The situation differs when it comes to foreign policy, with 51% expressing satisfaction, 45% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction, and 19% expressing strong dissatisfaction.
As for the evaluation of the government’s performance, only 33% say they are satisfied, while 65% say they are dissatisfied. Seven percent of respondents say they are very satisfied, 26% are somewhat satisfied, 40% are not very satisfied, and 25% are not at all satisfied.
The health sector is the one that satisfies people the most, and this may be related to the General Health System (GESY). Forty-six percent of respondents say they are satisfied, while 54% are dissatisfied. Next is immigration, with 37% of respondents stating they are satisfied with how the issue is being handled and 62% dissatisfied. It is worth noting that a few years ago, immigration was, for a time, one of the main issues of concern to citizens. The Cyprus issue registers 32% satisfaction and 67% dissatisfaction, while at the bottom of the list in terms of satisfaction are the education sector, which registers 69% dissatisfaction, and the issue of combating corruption, with a high dissatisfaction rate of 82%.
However, citizens’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction vary depending on their political affiliation. The lowest rates are recorded among two parties that are clearly in the opposition: AKEL and ALMA. It is telling that 15% of AKEL voters and 24% of ALMA Movement voters express satisfaction. Among voters for the coalition partner DIKO, 52% say they are satisfied, and among ELAM voters, 51% say the same. The situation is particularly interesting for the opposition DISY party, where 47% of respondents say they are satisfied. This reinforces the impression that Nikos Christodoulides maintains his momentum within the party. “Around 30% of DISY voters view Christodoulides’ administration positively and are inclined to vote for him in the upcoming presidential election,” Mr. Toumazou notes. As he explains, this creates a common bloc with DIKO and ELAM voters, who have a positive view of the President and are likely to vote for him. At the same time, he assesses that on the opposite side lies a united front of AKEL and ALMA voters, holding exactly the opposite positions on governance and their voting intentions regarding the President.
