Marina Economides
The past week has been a striking blow to the politics of Nikos Nouris, his supporters, and potential successors. A policy built on promoting racism and spreading hatred within society has been exposed, revealing its true purpose: to cover up its own failures. This week has confirmed that sooner or later, the country bears the cost of politicians’ cheap populism—the same homeland they claim to defend with their policies, and the citizens whose interests and security they supposedly protect.
The Republic of Cyprus is now set to pay thousands of euros due to its conviction by the European Court of Human Rights for returning two Syrian refugees to Lebanon in 2020. But more than the monetary penalty, this case reflects poorly on the state itself and the moral code of its political leaders. While Cyprus appeals to the International Court of Justice for the Cyprus problem, it simultaneously violates human rights in brutal ways, pushing people into poverty and jeopardizing their survival.
However, the key takeaway from this week isn't even the €1.1 million cost of Nikos Nouris' barbed wire along the Green Line, which has since been removed by the current Cabinet. Nor is it the failure of this symbolic policy, which stigmatized the country’s image before it was dismantled in mere seconds on national television by ALPHA reporter George Chrysanthos, who demonstrated how easily the barbed wire could be bypassed. There are political ramifications, too. Nouris managed immigration with rhetoric and actions that played to the most extreme instincts. And when asked how the barbed wire resolved the issue, the government claimed, "We have a culture to protect"—a statement that inadvertently acknowledged the ongoing division of the country.
Nouris and his imitators knew their audience. They knew that these policies, and particularly their execution, were popular among certain segments of society. The immigration issue, like the Cyprus problem, has become a platform for political careers built on institutionalized racism. But this political ascent always comes at a cost. Today’s condemnation should cause supporters of Nouris’ policies to reflect: What impact did all this actually have in preventing migration? Populists easily create enemies to appear as if they are taking action, but it’s always others who pay the price for their delusions.
The state will pay for this recklessness. But the real damage is that such dangerous incompetence has torn at the fabric of society, causing fractures in democracy itself, and giving racism and lawlessness a respectable veneer.
The question now is whether this conviction will bring about any real change. The current government has rightly removed the barbed wire, and Konstantinos Ioannou has rightly criticized Nouris’ policies. But what steps will be taken to demonstrate internationally that Cyprus respects the agreements it has signed, including those on refugees? While we have no reason to doubt Ioannou’s claim that there are no pushbacks, the reality in the buffer zone since summer—where migrants, including children, are held in poverty, sweltering heat, and without basic hygiene—suggests we have not learned our lesson. Moreover, at a recent meeting with all relevant ministers, warnings were issued about the international repercussions of violating conventions, and the negative image Cyprus projects as a result. Yet, no minister took action to stop the suffering of these people, which speaks volumes about the government’s humanity and moral code.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
