It would be easy to stop here and place all the blame on politicians. The central question, however, concerns us
Every morning, public discourse in Cyprus is filled with cryptic statements, grandiloquent rhetoric, and posturing. If you read all of this carefully, it says nothing. It’s discourse designed to sound important. It says a lot and, at the same time, nothing. If you read it while sipping a moderate drink, it creates, if nothing else, the right atmosphere…
A year and a half before the end of the five-year term, there is a search for areas of substantive improvement in governance. Public administration remains problematic, independent institutions are often—and rightly so—criticized, and citizens’ trust in the rule of law continues to wane. On the Cyprus issue, there has been no substantive progress since Crans-Montana, beyond routine meetings and press releases. The division is quietly becoming entrenched, while we discuss procedures, the Joint Ministerial Committee, and ideas.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The key players on the political scene seem to have other priorities. Like Narcissus, they appear captivated by the image reflected back to them by the mirror of public opinion polls. And yet, what’s happening around us is critical: the climate crisis, artificial intelligence, the economic model, education, a society that’s slowly sinking. Is there a plan for all of this?
It would be easy to stop here and place all the blame on politicians. The central question, however, concerns us. The electorate is increasingly turning to conservative choices. It is seduced by extreme slogans that promise simple answers to complex problems. Our narrow circle of interests makes it difficult for us to see beyond it, toward the good of the country in the years to come.
Our politicians did not come out of nowhere. To a large extent, they are a reflection of ourselves. If we reward rhetoric over substance, we will get rhetoric. If we ask for favors instead of plans, we’ll get favors. The five politicians gracing the front pages of our newspapers are made in our image and likeness—moderately mediocre and always calculated.
The next five years will be no different unless we change what we demand—or, to be precise, unless we change who we are. The country cannot afford another wasted five years, but it seems we are prepared to shoulder the heavy cost of this choice.
