Antriana Panteli
Gen Z uprisings in at least seven European countries have dominated international debate over the past week, drawing other age groups into mass demonstrations. The wave of protests began in France in mid-October and spread to Greece, Spain, Portugal, Albania, Italy and Belgium. In France, students initially took to the streets to demand better conditions in education. The common thread running through the demonstrations seems to be the sense that no one in Europe is planning for young people’s future.
Despite all this unrest across Europe, the younger generation’s voice in Cyprus has been limited to a few posts expressing “solidarity” online. Are we living in some utopia where young people are so satisfied with their education and everything society offers them that there is no reason to mobilize here? The long-running disputes between student and education organizations and the Education Ministry suggest anything but. Facilities, air conditioning, appointments, exams and support programs are just some of the problems hanging over endless discussions that produce no meaningful results. Beyond education, Eurostat research shows that financial insecurity and the housing crisis are increasingly troubling young people in Cyprus, who are struggling to keep up with the demands of modern life.
Yet none of this appears to be enough to spur Cyprus’ Gen Z into action. The wider unrest has barely stirred it — although, to be fair to this particular generation, that is hardly a new phenomenon in this country.
The deeply rooted “keep your head down and get by” mentality, passed from generation to generation, has become part of our DNA. The illusion that something is “geographically far away,” that it does not touch us or concern us, and therefore offers no reason for “pointless” disruption keeps us isolated in our own reality, comfortably ensconced in our private “bubbles.” This inward-looking way of life has fostered a shared belief: Keep a low profile and at least you will survive. And that is enough. But how much longer can this approach guarantee our survival?
The system we live under is unsustainable because it relies heavily on the safety net of family support. Our sense of finding our feet in life rests on the assumption that a helping hand will appear at every major milestone, whether through nepotism or inherited wealth. Yet the resources that sustain this support are running out. Without assets, a home or a business already waiting for us, economic and political conditions leave ever less room for a “comfortable, quiet” life.
That threat, and the realization that we will struggle to give future generations the material advantages we received, may be what finally awakens young people and drives them to demand their rights. Or it may deepen their defeatism and apathy.
Of course, some young people do voice their concerns and frustration at this particular paradox of Cypriot society. It is difficult, however, to argue that they are anything other than a minority when there seems to be little willingness to come together. Even when groups large and small have tried over the years to organize mass protests, the response has usually been lukewarm. Do these young people feel they have no space to be represented and heard? Or are their views merely superficial convictions that will never translate into action?
