CLOSE
Loading...
12° Nicosia,
14 March, 2026
 
Home  /  Comment  /  Opinion

Cyprus' solar ambitions face off against shadowy bureaucratic interests

Political hurdles and controversy surround the ''solar panel for all'' plan

Onasagoras

Onasagoras

As I had unfortunately predicted, complications have emerged in the "Solar Panels for All" plan. The most significant measure to finally turn Cyprus into a developed country, the most positive decision of the current government, the only step in the right direction, and one that would provide a huge economic relief for consumers, unfortunately, must, as expected because this is Cyprus, navigate through hurdles.

The usual vested interests, including the 'Sinful Authority of Cyprus' (EAC) and beyond, will throw many obstacles and do everything in their power to delay or even sabotage the plan, using pretexts and justifications of the style "we need time to improve it." We know their tricks, but it won't work this time.

The weaker the government, the stronger the bureaucracy. -Gustave Lebon

The weaker the government is, the stronger the bureaucracy becomes. Minister of Energy, it's time to prove that you exist and that, beyond unfortunate and superficial statements, you can produce meaningful work. The "Solar Panels for All" plan must be implemented immediately, and it must be exactly what its name implies: for everyone without exception. It's high time to provide the economically vulnerable with what they need for their families and to keep small and medium-sized businesses alive. To offer hope and prosperity to our land.

"Solar Panels for All" is the only way forward, and the only solution to alleviate the burden on citizens. Mr. Papastasiou, do you want to be remembered as the Minister who dared to take a genuinely revolutionary action – even if it was long overdue and should have been done 30 years ago – or do you want to pass into history as just another bureaucrat who came and went? The ball is in your court, and we are quite apprehensive about the leap.

Incidentally, on a different note, shortly after we criticized AKEL's stance on Hamas terrorism (a lukewarm reaction of equal distances), our very own Stefanos (Stefanos Kaselakis is still trying to find out where Gaza is and searching for it in a pharmacy) declared that the party condemns Hamas's terrorist attacks against civilians. (Implicitly justifying terrorism against non-civilians.)

The statement is far from satisfactory, but in any case, it's better than nothing. And the party certainly has a long way to go before it becomes as modern as it envisions. Concealing the sledgehammer won't cut it.

[This opinion has been translated from its Greek original and may not express the same nuances, idiomatic expressions, and cultural references found in the original]

TAGS
Cyprus  |  Israel  |  energy  |  solar

Opinion: Latest Articles

Seventy years after the Suez Crisis, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is once again exposing the fragility of global energy security. Photo credit: Wikipedia

Two crises, seven decades apart

Two strategic chokepoints, seventy years apart each reveal how conflict in key maritime routes can shake the global economy. ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
Iran’s decentralized ''mosaic defense'' may complicate the war in the Gulf, but its real danger lies in what comes after: a region fragmented by rival militias and warlords. File photo AI

The strategy of chaos

Tehran’s strategy is designed to survive bombing and central collapse, yet it risks unleashing uncontrollable forces that ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
Marked by war and wildfires, Cyprus is still waiting for its life-saving warning system. Image is AI

If not now, when?

Three years after promises were made, the country remains without a mobile emergency alert system required under EU law.
Dorita Yiannakou
 |  OPINION
Beijing watches closely while Washington deepens its military and political commitments. Photo is AI

What might China be thinking?

China may be betting that another prolonged conflict will drain U.S. power and distract it from the strategic competition ...
Alexis Papachelas
 |  OPINION
A risky strategy aimed at regime change in Iran could reshape the Middle East. Photo credit: BBC

Trump’s proxy war moment

Washington is betting that airpower and internal dissent can topple Tehran, without sending U.S. troops into another Middle ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
Officials praise their record but citizens see a widening gap between accountability and impunity.

Dangerous matters

The 'Golden Passports' verdict deepens public mistrust in Cyprus’s justice system.
Dorita Yiannakou
 |  OPINION
While historic homes fall to midnight demolitions, citizens and bicommunal initiatives struggle to defend the island’s shared heritage. Photo credit: @TCCHCyprus

The island is drowning in concrete

Unrestrained development is erasing Cyprus’s architectural memory, yet resistance is growing on both sides of the divide. ...
Apostolos Kouroupakis
 |  OPINION
From EU illusions to the normalization of partition.

Our bright future

The European “toolbox” has turned into a Turkish advantage.
Pavlos Xanthoulis
 |  OPINION
X