I am following with particular interest the debate that has opened up within Democratic Rally (DISY) ahead of the 2028 presidential election. And I feel the need to put forward a personal view. Because I believe that, this time, we cannot afford to see the choice of candidate merely as an internal party process.
The real question at stake is far bigger than that. It is not only who DISY's candidate will be. It is how we arrive at that choice, so that the day after, DISY is more united, stronger and more open to society. There are, today, people interested in seeking the party's nomination. And that is entirely legitimate. DISY is a democratic party. Having a different view, ambition and seeking the nomination are not a problem. What would be a problem is if that contest turned into internal conflict.
Because we all know that an internal party election can decide a candidate. But it can, at the same time, leave behind wounds, camps and personal rivalries. And that is something DISY must avoid. Unity first, then the fight.
In my view, an informal but substantive agreement is needed among everyone, starting now: that the internal process will be civil, clean and democratic. That no one will try to win by tearing the other down. That no camps will form that outlast the selection itself. And, above all, that the result will be respected by everyone.
Because on the day DISY's candidate is chosen, there should be no winners and losers. There should be one candidate, and a united party standing behind him. That is the first and most important thing at stake. To choose with Cyprus as our criterion, not just DISY.
The choice of candidate cannot be judged only by how much power someone holds within the party machine.
A presidential election is not an internal party election. DISY's grassroots will choose the candidate, but that candidate will then have to speak to the whole of Cypriot society. So a much bigger question should occupy us: Who can widen DISY's electoral base? Who can speak both to the traditional Synagermos voter and to the citizen who does not vote DISY today? Who can bring together different social groups? Who can build broader social alliances? Who can inspire people who have drifted away from politics? And who can offer a convincing answer to the problems of contemporary Cyprus?
These are the real criteria that should occupy us.
Because the goal is not for someone to win the internal contest. The goal is to create the conditions for DISY to win society's trust. The person alone is not enough.
Another mistake would be to believe everything will be decided by the individual. Not even the best candidate can succeed without a strong and united party behind him. And no party can convince society without a clear political plan.
DISY must decide what it wants to propose for the Cyprus of 2028.
- What kind of economy do we want?
- How will we tackle the cost of living?
- How will young people be able to buy a home and start a family?
- How will we make the state more effective?
- How will we strengthen health and education?
- How will we create more opportunities for entrepreneurship and growth?
- How will we approach the Cyprus problem with seriousness and national responsibility?
- How will we make Cyprus stronger within Europe?
This is the debate that needs to open up.
The person must serve the plan, not the plan be built around the person.
DISY must open its doors to society again. Democratic Rally has a great history. It has people with experience, knowledge and something to offer. It has representatives across the whole of Cyprus. It has a broad social base. But in 2028, it cannot rely on these alone. It must speak again to people who once voted for it and have since drifted away. It must reach out to young people who don't feel politics concerns them. It must listen to society before asking for its vote. It must show that it cares not only about power, but about what it will do with power.
This, in my view, is the real challenge.
And there is something even more important. Those who seek the nomination must know that the day of the selection is not the end. It is the beginning. Whoever is chosen must have the magnanimity to reach out to everyone. And those who are not chosen must have the political maturity to accept it and support the common effort. Not because they agree on everything. But because they understand there is something greater than personal ambition. There is the party. And above the party, there is Cyprus.
This is the political greatness these times demand. We must not look inward. 2028 must not be a repeat of old internal rivalries. We must not relive a DISY that looks inward while society waits to hear what it proposes for the future. We must do exactly the opposite. Unite our forces first, and then open them up to society. Create a candidate who has behind him not a faction, but the whole party. And ahead of him not just the party faithful, but the whole of Cypriot society.
This, in my view, is the path that can give real prospects to the 2028 presidential election. We do not need to fear the democratic process. We need to fear inward-looking self-absorption. We do not need to fear a different view. We need to fear division. We do not need to be searching for who will win inside DISY. We need to create the conditions for DISY to be able to win Cyprus's trust.
And that begins today.
With respect for democracy. With clean rules. With political civility.
With unity. With a modern political plan. And with a candidate who will not be the candidate of one faction or one internal majority. He will be the candidate of a united DISY that wants to speak to the whole of Cyprus.
Because, in the end, 2028 should not be the battle over who wins DISY. It should be the effort of a united DISY to win Cyprus's trust once again.
