So, what is the policy of the Christodoulides government, after all?
The way a President defines the policy pursued by his government should be a simple matter. In reality, however, it is pivotal: it goes to the heart of clarity, consistency, and ultimately the accountability of power.
In the case of President Nicos Christodoulides, the answer to this question remains blurred and contradictory. Two public interventions by him—at different times and before different audiences—outline a range of answers that confuse rather than clarify.
July 2025: When political identity became a riddle
When I first listened to the President’s interview on the podcast
The Best is Politics,
I had to replay it. Not because it was complex, but because I could not believe that a sitting President was unable to give a basic answer to the question:
“Where do you place yourself on the political spectrum?”
The discomfort is evident. Starting from Jeremy Corbyn on the left, the President persistently avoids taking a position. He shifts verbally, describes himself as a liberal democrat, slides into generalities, rejects labels, and ultimately defines himself as a “social liberal,” “beyond Tony Blair’s Third Way.”
He speaks of a free economy and low taxation—“taxes kill entrepreneurs”—while at the same time acknowledging a role for the state in health and education. He does not describe himself as conservative. He does not belong—he says—to today’s conservatives.
The result? A political self-definition without an axis, one that startles the two journalists, makes them laugh, and culminates in the sharp remark by one of them:
“You’ve managed to offend both of us—that’s really impressive.”
If you don’t have time to listen to the entire interview, listen for one minute—from 28:58 to 29:58.
December 2025: When “centre-right” is the flavour of the day
In an interview with Phileleftheros in December, the same President appears far more categorical:
“We are a centre-right government, with a clear ideological framework of social liberalism.”
“I want there to be a centre-right majority in Parliament.”
The difference is not merely one of tone. It is the inability—or refusal—to self-position. We move from ambiguity to a clear—albeit belated—characterisation of the government as centre-right.
The essential question
This is not an academic discussion. A government’s political identity is not a communications detail; it is the framework within which its decisions are judged: on taxation, the welfare state, inequality, and the relationship between state and market.
When the President himself gives different answers to the same question within a six-month period, the issue remains open:
- Is this political evolution or political ambiguity?
- Ideological maturation or adaptation to the audience—or simply confusion?
In any case, the country deserves more than equivocal answers. It deserves clear political discourse, seriousness, consistency between words and deeds, and accountability to citizens.
And one final point. The President’s call on the electorate to support centre-right parties—presumably meaning DISY, DIKO, and ELAM—offers a clear picture of where he himself stands politically. This is something citizens should remember in May when they go to the polls: a vote for these parties is a vote of confidence in Nicos Christodoulides.
ANNEX
Interview (English version as spoken)
Journalist: You know British politics very well; where would you be on our political spectrum—from left to right? Let’s say we have Jeremy Corbyn on the left side.
NX: I don’t have—I know Jeremy.
Journalist: I know you know Jeremy Corbyn; give me a name for the other side.
NX: Liberal Democrat today, or…
Journalist: You? Liberal Democrat? No!
NX: I am coming from the Liberal Party, but I am not a neoliberal; I am a social liberal. I am more than the Third Way of Tony Blair. I believe in a free economy; I am against taxes—taxes are killing businesspeople—but at the same time the state has certain responsibilities in health and education to provide to its people.
Journalist: So you would not define yourself, on our terms, as a conservative?
NX: Today’s conservatives? No, sorry.
Journalist 2: You have managed to offend both of us—that’s absolutely amazing!
Πώς θα περιγράφατε τον πολιτικό προσανατολισμό της κυβέρνησης, με βάση τις δηλώσεις του ίδιου του Προέδρου;
— Androulla Kaminara (@AKaminara) January 5, 2026
