CLOSE
Loading...
12° Nicosia,
28 July, 2026
 
Home  /  Comment  /  Opinion

Politics Blog: Hallelujah, Guterres is here. Now all we need is a miracle

As Cyprus waits for a breakthrough on the Cyprus problem, the island continues solving its own unique problems—with confusion, contradictions and a little chaos.

Onasagoras

Onasagoras

Guterres is in Cyprus. Hallelujah. Should we celebrate or mourn? Or perhaps do both, just to cover all the bases?

His first pledge is to help find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. Uh-oh. What exactly does that mean?

First of all, whenever we hear anyone say "I commit"—or any variation of the word—a chill runs straight down our spine. Second, what kind of solution could possibly satisfy both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots when we Greek Cypriots can't even agree among ourselves on what we actually want?

In any case, despite Little Nikos' "optimism," I'm personally keeping my expectations low. How low? About the size of a thimble.

---

Meanwhile, Mylonas' name is once again being floated for a ministerial post, and honestly, he'd fit perfectly into the Christodoulides government. What could be more appropriate for a Cabinet that already includes some of the country's most hardline rejectionists?

Not even ELAM leader Christou would have put together such a rejectionist Cabinet—he'd at least have tried to keep up appearances.

Meanwhile, we have a president who never misses a chance to say we "must continue from where we left off at Crans-Montana." So what better symbolic message than appointing someone who believes Crans-Montana was a complete disaster and that we did the right thing by running away from it? F_ck logic, as we say back in my village.

---

But the weirdness doesn't stop there.

While Little Nikos is telling the European Union and the United Nations that Cyprus wants a bizonal, bicommunal federation, we haven't heard a peep from coalition partner DIKO—or from the unofficial-but-very-much-governing ELAM—both of which advocate the exact opposite.

Remember that old Anna Vissi hit? Schizophrenia.

Wouldn't that make the perfect new national anthem?

---

And in the middle of dramatic developments on the Cyprus issue, wildfires, heatwaves, famine, earthquakes, and biblical disasters, we finally got the answer to the hottest question of the year.

Who exactly was our national developer talking about when he famously said, "He is like my girlfriend"?

Brace yourselves so you don't fall off your chair.

It turns out our national "girlfriend" wasn't the president after all—thank God, I don't think I could have handled that—but former energy minister Giorgos Papanastasiou.

And if this latest version doesn't sound particularly convincing to you, just chalk it up to 'faflatismoi' and hot air.

Paschalides, you absolute legend—you've left us with a line that will live forever.

Respect.

---

I was driving through the mountains—yes, the ones we burned down last year—when I heard the community leader of Agia Anna calling for the arrest of both the defense minister and the president over yesterday's wildfire.

Now, they certainly bear their share of responsibility, but arresting them over it? Let's not get carried away.

I completely understand the community leader's—and the residents'—anger. It's justified. But let's not turn ourselves into the land of endless exaggeration.

Let's wait for the investigation to conclude. And let's all pray Paschalides isn't put in charge of this one too; otherwise we may end up with yet another round of... 'faflatismoi'.

Still, you can't help wondering just how much of a "projectile" the people were who decided to destroy projectiles in the middle of a heatwave, at the height of a Cypriot summer.

Some situations leave you speechless, wondering how we've managed to survive this long on nothing more than pure luck.

Then again, let's look on the bright side.

As Diplaros would probably say, it's a good thing we burned almost everything down last year—this year there's less left to catch fire.

TAGS
Cyprus  |  politics  |  opinion

Opinion: Latest Articles

Record revenues came with record controversy. Photo credit: Alfredo Estrella/AFP via France24

Infantino’s promise

The 2026 World Cup delivered record revenues and strengthened Gianni Infantino's vision of turning FIFA into an even more ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
This summer, as vacation posts flood our feeds, it is worth remembering that what we see online is rarely a complete or accurate picture of anyone's life. Photo credit: Unsplash

The FOMO industry

As social media turns everyday life into a carefully curated performance, the fear of missing out has become less of a personal ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
The public warmth between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says more about today's strategic landscape than Nicosia's expectations. Photo credit: AFP via turkiyetoday.com

The navel of the world

Cyprus risks mistaking diplomatic optimism for geopolitical reality as the EU's priorities increasingly center on Turkey. ...
Pavlos Xanthoulis
 |  OPINION
The unanswered questions that have haunted soldiers and refugees for decades continue to point one man toward faith.

Bullets are not spared...

A new memoir revisits the impossible choices of the 1974 war through one survivor's personal testimony.
Opinion
 |  OPINION
America's constitutional checks will be crucial ahead of the 2027 French presidential election and future global stability. Photo credit: www.nato.int

Whatever happens in Ankara...

Trump's praise for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan leaves Athens with little room to respond through traditional ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
Competing calendars and weaponized histories manufacture the illusion of an inevitable final conflict. Image from The Crusader Bible at The Blanton Museum of Arts

Reality or narratives?

Our obsession with historical cycles blinds us to the present reality in the Middle East.
Opinion
 |  OPINION
How Cyprus turned a simple commute into a daily battle, and why making driving inconvenient is our only way out. File photo

From dead end to one-way street

Between smartphone-blind pedestrians and traffic-choked streets, it is time to admit our car dependency has hit rock bottom. ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
Critics argue the reform is designed to deliver immediate political gains while postponing the difficult decisions needed to secure future generations' retirement prospects.

Limited-liability pension reform

Government proposals promise higher benefits and lower early-retirement penalties, but questions remain about the long-term ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
As questions mount for former president Nicos Anastasiades, Cyprus faces a larger reckoning over accountability, institutional trust, and political culture. File photo

The report is only the beginning

The findings point to possible corruption at the highest levels of public life, but the challenge now is ensuring a credible ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
A growing list of America's partners have learned how quickly loyalty can be discarded. File photo Pixabay

Where are the Iranians?

As Iran falls silent after military strikes, those who hoped for liberation are left with uncertainty, fear and unanswered ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
A reality check for us Cypriots

A reality check for us Cypriots

The findings of the anti-corruption authority challenge both our blind trust in institutions and our claims that everyone ...
Thanasis Photiou
 |  OPINION
Does money bring happiness?

Does money bring happiness?

A reflection on village memories, Cypriot flavours and modern dining shows that while wealth is debatable, a good meal always ...
Michalis Michaelides
 |  OPINION
X