I admit that I’ve always viewed political figures who tout their simplicity with skepticism. Those who want to convince citizens that they’re just like them. That they’re moved, inspired, and touched by the same things. That they live simple, family-oriented lives, with shared concerns and experiences. With reservations, though, since more often than not it turned out that reality had nothing to do with the image they were trying to project. A fabricated image designed either to get them elected or to boost their popularity.
So, a few hours after the President’s unofficial Instagram account posted a video of him playing racketball carefree in his swimsuit on a beach in Cyprus, a report in “Politis” revealed a request to release funds totaling €595,000. According to the classified document, the purpose was to purchase a new armored limousine for the Presidency of the Republic. A limousine that would be used for President Christodoulides’s travel as well as for transporting heads of state visiting Cyprus.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
I do not know what security reasons led to the decision to purchase such an expensive vehicle—one far more expensive than the one requested by Nicos Anastasiades’s security detail. Nor do I understand why a seven-year-old vehicle needs to be replaced, especially when the new one is much more expensive than those used by other heads of state of EU member countries. Leaders who obviously place particular emphasis on the issue of austerity.
It is now clear, however, that instead of providing answers to all these questions, they will resort to populist rhetoric. They will say that the President’s security takes precedence, that it is unacceptable for heads of state to arrive in our country in their own cars. That the President, as an institution, must be able to move about with dignity. And not to be shuttled around in old cars on city streets just to satisfy the haters.
But no one asked the institution to be discredited. What everyone finds intolerable is the mockery. In fact, his claim that he was unaware of safety issues, when the document explicitly states that it was following a decision by the cabinet, is particularly troubling. The stark contradiction between the image and reality is troubling—between what he promised and what he ultimately delivers. That image is meticulously promoted through unofficial Instagram accounts, spontaneous support groups, and his final actions. A President who, while generously sharing personal moments, when called upon to explain the First Lady’s Fund, “Videogate,” or his pension—that is, matters that concern the public—he targets those who have exposed scandalous practices. He accuses people of being obsessed, sees “hybrid wars,” fabricates enemies, and believes the goal is to damage his image.
Except that citizens aren’t concerned with the President’s image. They’re concerned with how a President who promised change is, day by day, turning into the very thing he promised to change. A President who, while speaking of breaking with the establishment, is turning into the very thing he sought to change. And this isn’t limited to whether or not he’ll take the €595,000 limousine. But in the way he not only targets anyone who points out his mistakes, but above all in the way he underestimates the intelligence of the society that elected him.
