Tales from the coffeeshop: Is state too stupid or too corrupt?

ANYONE who watched the interview of MEP Fidias Panayiotou – now leader of the Direct Democracy of Cyprus party – with the over-the-hill hack Yiannis Kareklas on Sigma TV would no longer consider it absurd to vote for him.

Fidias, in his down-to-earth style, made a complete fool of the pompous and patronising Kareklas, who despite his advancing years retains his inflated self-regard. From the word go, he tried to insult and belittle Fidias, often resorting to bullying, which he displays only to people he considers his inferiors. His subservient attitude is reserved for political big shots.

Kareklas likened Fidias to Cicciolina, the Italian porn star who was elected to parliament in the eighties, accused him of being a clown and that he had turned politics into a circus. One of the subtitles appearing during the interview was “The ridiculing of politics and the system,” in case anyone did not understand what Kareklas was getting at.

In the end, although there was no subtitle to point it out, the show proved the ridiculing of a journalistic has-been. Kareklas not only failed spectacularly in his manic efforts to discredit and diminsh Fidias but instead boosted his profile as a smart young politician, kicking against the pricks.

ONE OF THE biggest state-sponsored scams is the arrangement between the government and big photovoltaic parks operated by private businesses. These parks are guaranteed by the government to receive an extortionate price for the electricity they produce.

The price is about 10 per cent below the rate charged by the EAC for the electricity its power stations produce. But the EAC price is high because it has to buy diesel and mazut for its power stations, whereas the PV parks use the sun, which as far as we know is free. So why are they paid a price close to the 20 cents the EAC charges per kilowatt hour when they have no production cost?

The PV parks receive about 17 to 18 cent per kWh, when the EAC charges 5 cents per KWh for the electricity it produces in its own PV parks. It is a no-risk, money-making deal, yielding super-profits guaranteed by a state that is either too stupid or too corrupt.

THE WAR in Iran and the steadily rising world price of oil must be music to the ears of PV park owners, because it will increase the price of electricity produced by the EAC. The authority’s chairman said that electricity rates could increase by as much as 20 per cent in a few months.

This must have come as sweet, sweet music to the ears of the owners of the PV parks, who open the Dom Perignon and party whenever they hear that world oil prices are rising. It means the EAC will increase electricity rates and they will get a higher price for electricity they produce without a single cent increase in their costs. Everything extra they will be paid will be pure profit.

Why has the government done nothing about this outrage? Akel has called for a windfall tax to be imposed but its demand has fallen on deaf ears. Is it because some of the PV park operators have been generous contributors to the first lady’s social support body, which has been abolished without the name of a single contributor being made public? Just asking.

HEARING our Prez regularly talk about strengthening defence capability and developing an arms industry we would dismiss it as the kind of hot air he specialises in. We are not so sure any longer, because there seems to be a plan.

All was revealed after the March 25 parade, marking Greece’s independence day, when he spoke about his plans for liberating Kyproulla. “We must learn the right lessons, utilise the way in which our Greek brothers fought to gain their freedom,” he said. “It is precisely relying on the lessons of the struggle that we continue our own effort for the liberation and reunification of our homeland.”

Our Greek brothers took up arms back in 1821 and fought a war to gain their freedom. Is our Prez suggesting we do the same for the liberation and reunification of our homeland? I suspect that he enjoys his role as a war leader and wants to take it to the next level.

FOR NOW, he is focusing on liberating Akrotiri and Dhekelia from British rule and bringing them under the control of the Cyprus Republic.

The presidential palace has kept the matter alive, its spokesmen frequently talking about getting rid of the British bases. Last Sunday in Phil, Bimbishs reported that British PM Keir Starmer telephoned the Prez as soon as he returned from Brussels as he could not ignore the issue after the European Council included a vague reference to the bases in its conclusions.

Then on Tuesday, deputy spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said the government was seeking legal advice regarding the Treaty of Establishment, while on Friday Mini Me said the government was undertaking preparations “at all levels” for the talks about the bases.

“When there is something that can be announced it will be announced,” he said.

We still have not heard anyone from the government say the bases must leave, which raises suspicions that the whole exercise is performative, like the Prez’s efforts to secure the resumption of Cyprob talks.

EVERY other sentence in the Prez’s filmed speech about the social support measures his government would introduce, referred to government’s “prudent fiscal policies” and “responsible management of the economy.” It was almost as if he was repeating this over and over again to believe it.

The reality is that public finances are in a good state in spite of the Prez rather than because of him. High growth rates and increased tax revenue are what have contributed to sound public finances, not the prudent policies of the Prez, who at the first sign of public discontent releases the purse strings to buy his way out of trouble.

He did it, immediately, after last summer’s wildfires in Limassol, he has done this for foot and mouth disease and now is trying to win over the general population by cutting taxes on fuel and electricity. It is just a gesture, an attempt to be seen to be doing something, even if it really is nothing.

Describing the cutting of taxes whenever the world price of oil goes up as responsible and prudent management seems a bit far-fetched.

ONE OF the presidential cheerleaders at Phil inadvertently explained why the Prez was prudently wasting the taxpayer’s money on social support measures that will not be felt by anyone. It said, and excuse the bad use of metaphors which are not because of the translation:

“Worries about the developments of the war in Iran, the increases in the price of fuel and fears about a fall in tourism he (the prez) came back with a new generous package of economic measures for the support of society. It is obvious now that Christodoulides is throwing into battle his second strong card (sic), after foreign policy, that relates to the surplus of a powerful economy.”

Would this be enough to “counter everything that is thrown at him as criticism for the government misses as regards domestic issues,” he asked.

THE SURPLUS is being used, by the admission of his own supporters, to silence his critics, which is not very prudent or responsible. Then again, this crude tactic appears to have worked. You only had to hear Disy chief and House president Annita Demetriou talking on the radio about the government’s latest measures to realise the tactic worked.

Annita, who heads the main opposition party, was full of praise for the measures. It was embarrassing to listen to her, as she sounded like one of his spokesmen.

In the end our only hope is Fidias and I would blame Kareklas for that.