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Are you embarrassed by the president

A MAN’S thoughts, expressed orally or in written form, are a reflection of his personality. Some months ago, commenting on some incoherent and bizarre public statements by President Papadopoulos, I had suggested that Demetris Christofias and other top state officials investigated whether there was anything seriously wrong with him. On New Year’s Day and January 3, Phileleftheros published an ultra-long interview with the president. Below are some of his responses, which require no explanation or comment from me.

l "One of the wise should tell me what he means with ‘we must undertake initiatives’. Is the EU an office to which I can go, knock on the door and ask what it will do about the Cyprus problem? On December 31, the Dutch presidency ran its course and Luxembourg has taken over. So we have the Presidency and the European Commission in which there are employees who do not shape policy."

l "When I go to speak to some people, apart from those who know the Cyprus problem well, Finland, Latvia etc, they tell me ‘we hear that you do not want a settlement’. They maintain that this is what the newspapers write and the serious Parties say. To achieve what? Whether they like it or not, I was elected for five years."

l "I never said that the basis for the talks is the Annan plan. The plan is a basis for negotiations."

l "(Spanish Prime Minister) Mr Zapatero came under tremendous pressure to cancel the meeting, to downgrade it or to also meet with Mr Talat. They had even told him not to talk to me and for the foreign minister to meet me. He did not give in and the visit was a working visit; there was also a welcome with a guard of honour. Consequently, there is no reason for me to announce the contact I will have in advance and trigger pressure."

l "Are political issues resolved by the (type of) climate? If Mr Blair kisses me, will it mean the climate has improved."

l "I am in favour of clearly spelt out views. We do not need to experience what we experienced with the Annan plan. We saw what happened to us thanks to our vagueness. I am against vagueness. I state my position and if they do not like it too bad."

l "I am not interested in helping journalists finding news stories with which to fill their pages."

l "A minister says, for example, that it is time to send a rocket to the moon. I will tell him to submit his proposal and ask him whether he thought what germs the rocket would bring back on its return. This is what I do. From then on, it is his business and he will also have to persuade his colleagues. The other day (at the council of ministers’ meeting) we took a decision with six votes in favour and five against. I did not vote nor did I express a view.

Some friends have said that my column deals excessively with Papadopoulos. I plead guilty to the charge. But on the other hand, can a columnist ignore all these weighty utterances? Unbelievable as it may seem, all the incoherence reported above is a reflection of the thinking of the man who is currently President of the Cyprus Republic, a member-state of the European Union. In other words, the subject has a broader European interest.
This is why tomorrow I will send a copy of this comment to the employees of the European Commission and to Mr Zapatero. If some readers are embarrassed about our president they should not be too harsh on him. Papadopoulos is not to blame for anything. They put him there and he is doing his best. If you think it is just not good enough, your should call Mr Christofias and politely tell him: I am embarrassed by the president you imposed on us. Are you?