The President’s pattern of contempt has worn down DIKO members, his demands, the discontent over Keravnos and Ioannou, and the mystery surrounding Anita

Nikola Papadopoulos’s letter to the President of the Republic and its publication, in which he asked the President to postpone the cabinet meeting so that he could first discuss with the DIKO secretariat the party’s role and presence in the government, was not merely another episode in the already turbulent coexistence of the two parties. It was, in essence, a sign that things had reached a breaking point for DIKO regarding the way their president is handling matters. It is precisely in this context that Nikolas Papadopoulos has been fostering, since the day after the elections, a climate of withdrawal from the government. He has made it clear to President Christodoulides that if his conditions regarding their cooperation are not met, and if there is no respect, then he has other options for alliances.

The Flower of Evil

The trigger for the new crisis was Nikola Papadopoulos’s announcement that the President had sought the advisory council’s opinion on appointments to parastatal organizations, had already sought the ministers’ input, and had essentially left DIKO out of the entire process. This comes despite the fact that, during their recent post-election meeting, Nikolas Papadopoulos had made it clear that he wants better consultation and a stronger presence for his party Both in parastatal organizations and in the government. This move, therefore, was seen as dismissive toward DIKO. It appears that Mr. Papadopoulos’s decision to be accompanied by the party’s secretariat was entirely deliberate. On the one hand, to show Nikos Christodoulides that decisions are not personal but collective, and on the other hand, to give the rest of the leadership —even his staunchest supporters—to form their own opinion on the situation. Within DIKO, there was a perception that the President was “hiding behind the advisory council” when he could have convened the party in a timely manner, consulted with it, reached a decision on the chairmanships, and then involved the advisory council.

Equal treatment with the DIPA

However, the quasi-governmental organizations are just one piece of the puzzle. The most serious issue for DIKO is strengthening its presence in the government. Although Nikos Christodoulides had offered Christos Senekis the Ministry of Agriculture the day after his defeat, he asked the DIKO secretariat —after the commotion—to provide him with three names for ministerial appointments. In addition to the fact that the DIKO President wants to have a say himself in who will be appointed as a minister—rather than finding out after the fact— he made it clear that the party should have greater representation. His request includes four ministerial posts and two deputy ministerial posts. It is not only a matter of more substantial involvement but also of symbolism. That is why he emphasized that, at this moment, DIKO has the same number of ministers as DIPA (Keravnos, Mousiouttas, Palmas), which has not even entered Parliament. This reference was by no means coincidental, given that Nikolas Papadopoulos has subtly conveyed the message that he wants to gradually absorb DIPA, and its strong presence in the government does notthe situation.

Keravnos and Ioannou are red flags

There is also an issue regarding specific ministers from the DIKO side, such as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Interior. Nikolas Papadopoulos did not fail to express his dissatisfaction with Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, with whom his feud dates back to the GSI and which resurfaced today over the issue vacant positions in the civil service. However, there is also dissatisfaction with Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, who, according to party officials, is not helping the party with his presence in such a critical post.

Haris Loizidis and the “black Monday”

What is certain, however, is that the President is in the process of selecting ministers, and by all accounts, he is not particularly concerned about DIKO’s reactions. Either because he considers the party’s threats to leave the coalition impossible to carry out, or because his priority is to drive a wedge between DISY and DIKO, or both. He believes that with the presence of two DIKO vice presidents in the cabinet, and the strong support of Chrysanthos Savvides in Paphos and Christos Senekis in Famagusta, he is not only strengthening his position for 2028 but is essentially trapping the party alongside him. He therefore believes that Nikolas Papadopoulos will have no alternative but to stay, or if he attempts to leave, he will have ministers standing by his side. Just as happened in 2014, when Nikolas Papadopoulos decided to leave the Anastasiades coalition government. He is following roughly the same strategy within DISY to keep close to him the percentage of voters who supported him from the outset in 2023.  According to reliable sources, Haris Loizidis, president of the Cyprus Football Association (KOP) and a member of Averof Neophytou’s inner circle, has been approached for the position of deputy minister of tourism. He rejected this proposal, just as he had previously turned down the position of Minister of Transportation and Public Works, a post offered to a high-ranking DISY official.

The Dilemma

Obviously, leaving the government is no easy task for the DIKO President, and this is well understood both within the party and at the Presidential Office. There are two main problems weighing on Nikolas Papadopoulos. The first is the alternative, as there is currently no strong movement in support of Annita Dimitriou, nor is her candidacy within the party a certainty.  The second is the fear that DIKO ministers will remain loyal to Nikos Christodoulides. For precisely these reasons, Nikolas Papadopoulos is not going to rush into anything. He will wait, on the one hand, to see who DISY chooses as its candidate and, on the other hand, to gauge the trends in the polls. If Nikos Christodoulides maintains his lead in the polls, then it will be difficult for him to argue in favor of leaving the government. If another candidate, such as Anita Dimitriou, for example, surpasses him in popularity, then DIKO believes the groundwork for an alliance with DISY could be laid. After all, it was the perception of victory that secured DIKO’s position in 2023 with Nicos Christodoulides. This perception of victory could either once again bolster his candidacy or serve as the perfect excuse that Nikolas Papadopoulos is looking for to step down.