The Democratic Rally (DISY) has distanced itself from former leader Averof Neofytou’s call for EU energy sanctions on Russia to be reviewed and lifted, saying it supports the bloc’s common policy and describing his suggestion as a personal proposal.
Neofytou, who has signalled his intention to run for president, called on President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday to press for the review and lifting of the sanctions at the next EU summit.
“The Democratic Rally supports the positions of the European People’s Party and the common policy of the EU of 27 on energy sanctions against Russia, always in full coordination with Greece,” the party said in a statement. It described Neofytou’s suggestion as “his personal proposal in the context of public political debate”, and said that while everyone had the right to put forward political proposals, it was crucial for Cyprus to stand with its European partners on major international issues and to align its direction with Greece.
Former DISY parliamentary spokesman Nikos Tornaritis, responding shortly after Neofytou’s press conference, said the proposal raised serious political questions about Cyprus’s European orientation, its credibility and its national goals. “The foreign policy of a small state cannot afford the luxury of contradictions,” he said. This applied all the more to Cyprus, he added, which still lives with the consequences of the Turkish invasion and occupation and relies in much of its diplomacy on international law, sovereignty, territorial integrity and European solidarity.
Tornaritis said the proposal was not simply an economic position but a political intervention, with implications for Cyprus’s European credibility and its ability to seek greater EU involvement in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem. He asked whether the proposals reflected Neofytou’s views alone or a direction that DISY’s current leadership also agreed with, and called on the party to state its position.
Despite repeated questions, Neofytou avoided fully clarifying his intentions regarding DISY’s internal procedures ahead of the presidential election, and referred to statements he would make next week. He said he was responsible for what he said, not for how it was interpreted. Phileleftheros understands he intends to go ahead with submitting his candidacy on October 26.
Cost of living
At the press conference, Neofytou also said price rises were cumulative, with new increases added to old ones, and that household shopping costs remained high while incomes were not keeping up.
“How many more increases can low earners, pensioners and the middle class absorb?” he said. With winter approaching, more and more households risked struggling to cover even their heating needs, he said, adding that the government was right to ask the European Commission for greater fiscal flexibility to support households and businesses in the face of the new energy crisis.
