Writing in a recent analysis for the Cypriot newspaper Politis, republished in the Greek newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton, journalist Kyriakos Pierides contends that the "virtual world" constructed by Christodoulides has been shattered. According to Pierides, a leadership that once filled nightly news broadcasts with "grandiose declarations" has been left exposed, its "imaginary doctrines of security and stability" proving hollow in the face of escalating conflict in a volatile region that Cyprus calls its neighborhood.
The criticism comes as simmering Middle Eastern tensions have boiled over, events which have clarified for many Cypriots the true meaning of security. Recent polls cited in the analysis suggest the public is increasingly wary of foreign entanglements, expressing a desire to maintain distance from both Israel and Iran while sympathizing with the plight of Palestinians. This shift in public mood has led many to question the President's close association with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prompting a fundamental question: "What business do we have in the Middle East?"
Pierides argues that the government's focus on trilateral alliances, energy pipelines, and high-profile photo opportunities served as a smokescreen to avoid confronting the eight-year deadlock in the Cyprus Problem. He asserts that proper security for the divided island can only be achieved by becoming a "normal state" through a comprehensive settlement. This, he writes, would allow Cyprus to leverage its EU membership to secure genuine, lasting guarantees for peace and stability both internally and in its surroundings.
The critique extends to the President's handling of the UN-led peace process. Christodoulides is accused of failing to respond decisively to the requests of UN envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar for a clear commitment to political equality—a cornerstone for reviving the Guterres Framework that brought all parties close to a strategic agreement at Crans-Montana.
Ultimately, the analysis concludes that Cyprus's path to a "safe "harbor is not through precarious Middle Eastern power plays but through a dedicated European approach. This path relies on rules-based cooperation and leveraging a potential EU-Turkey partnership to create the conditions for a final settlement, ending what Pierides calls the "long nightmare of division." Without a policy change, the article warns, the window of opportunity to prevent irrevocable changes to the status quo may close for good.
Photo: Efimerida ton Syntakton