The statements and announcements made by Energy Minister Michalis Damianou in an interview with the newspaper “Kathimerini” sparked a strong reaction from DISY and AKEL.Among other things, he noted that the Republic of Cyprus’s revenues from the large “Aphrodite,” “Glafkos,” and “Pegasus” will exceed 10 billion euros over a 15-year period, while he estimates that the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection via the GSI pipeline will not lead to cheaper electricity.

In a written statement, the Democratic Alarm refers to “recent public statements by government ministers” that “send mixed messages regarding the handling of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) and raise legitimate questions about whether there is a unified government position on a project of major strategic importance.”

“The Democratic Alarm reiterates its firm position that the GSI is a project of strategic, energy, and geopolitical importance for the Republic of Cyprus. It is a project that must move forward with comprehensive technical and financial documentation, transparency, and responsible planning, rather than the double-talk we see today.

At the same time, the government must clearly explain exactly where the due diligence process stands, what the timeline is for its completion, and when the final decisions are expected to be made. The conduct of this due diligence has been announced for months.

The government must send a clear and unified message regarding a project of such strategic importance; it must have a clear government plan rather than sending mixed messages that create uncertainty.”

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Vakis Charalambous, a member of AKEL’s Central Committee and head of the party’s Energy Office, spoke about “promises for tomorrow, dead ends for today”

“Yesterday’s interview with Energy Minister Mr. Michalis Damianou, in ‘Kathimerini’ confirmed the inability of the Christodoulides government to provide solutions to the country’s energy dead ends, which were caused by political expediency, special interests, and the incompetence of the Anastasiades–DISY government. Instead of solutions, the Christodoulides government continues down the path it charted from the very moment it took over the country’s governance: the path of vague promises and generalities about tomorrow, but without answers for today and the near future.

In the interview with Energy Minister Damianos, the following were confirmed: the standstill in the half-finished project at Vasiliko, the uncertainty regarding the electricity interconnection, the absence of a plan for an immediate reduction in electricity costs, and the lack of decisions to address the serious risk to electricity supply security.

Even regarding the development of Cyprus’s gas fields, the government is fostering unrealistic expectations even before the companies have made their final investment decisions and without providing any specific information about the content of the agreements it is concluding with them.

The reality is stark. Cyprus remains the only energy-isolated country in the EU, households and businesses continue to pay some of the highest electricity bills, and energy security is under threat.

After more than three years in office, the Christodoulides government cannot keep postponing solutions to an indefinite future and shifting the blame—which is glaringly evident—onto the previous government.

Once again, we are sending out a desperate SOS regarding the need to adopt and implement immediate measures, because our country is truly at risk of running out of electricity, and consumers will end up paying an even higher price.”