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

Victory or vanity? Reflections on New York and the Cyprus talks

A candid take on cautious optimism, political will, and the realities behind the resumption of negotiations.

Onasagoras

Onasagoras

We Have Triumphed! That’s how I feel after New York. Some ingrates will sneer, “a mountain labored and gave birth to a mouse.” But I, for one, agree with the President, who, very carefully choosing his words, never speaks of a solution, but always of some vague “progress” toward the great goal which is, get this, not the solution, but the resumption of talks, or, as our co-inhabitants call them, kounousma.

So, an official resumption of kounousma means trips and more trips, dinners, luncheons, even brunches. It means the UN is paying attention to us again, and we get to feel important, taking photos while staring pensively, or pretending to, at the sky and New York’s skyscrapers.

There have been better outcomes. -Nikos Christodoulides.

“There could have been even better outcomes,” said the President, “but there wasn’t the necessary political will.” I assume he meant Tatar’s objections to the bizonal bicommunal federation. Surely he didn’t mean the similar objections from DIKO, EDEK, and especially ELAM, since, as we all know, we’re absolutely bursting with political will. It’s running out of our armpits, as my late grandfather used to say.

I think we’re doing just fine. After all, as recent polls show, the Cyprus Problem doesn’t even sell anymore, not even among Greek Cypriots, who rank it low on their list of concerns, giving higher priority to immigration, corruption, and of course, the high cost of living. As long as one of the hundreds of corrupt officials gets convicted every few years and Anna Vissi throws a big summer concert, we’re all everybody happy. In case you were… wondering, as the Absolute Diva would say.

Given all this, I find the UN Secretary-General’s statement, that progress has been made on four points, which are the following three, and can be summed up in these two, quite satisfying: the restoration of cemeteries. I highlight restoration of cemeteries because, frankly, it sounds the most impressive. What exactly will that entail? Should we perhaps expect the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come, amen?

Meanwhile, Cypriots are very eager to invest in battery storage for the solar energy they produce, provided, of course, there’s substantial state subsidy. A reasonable request, especially when they hear of billion-euro projects with uncertain outcomes, and they’re just asking for a few crumbs so they can milk the sun productively. So bare your chest, my dear sun, great bovine of boundless energy, and be patient until bureaucracy lets us fully tap into you.

Let me remind you what clean energy expert Ramez Naam said at the recent Green Agenda conference: Cyprus is sitting on a goldmine. He meant the sun, of course. Let’s hope one day everyone wakes up to that reality and finally does the obvious. My son, my sun, my golden King.

Final question: the desalination units, which were supposed to be operational immediately, then in June, then in mid-July, will they actually function this summer, or are we skipping baths this August?

This opinion was translated from its Greek original.

TAGS
Cyprus  |  politics  |  opinion  |  Onasagoras

Opinion: Latest Articles

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