Cyprus-Forum.com

[Kifeas]

Who will you vote for, to represent Cyprus in the coming EP elections?

As we all know, the European Parliament is not one of the most powerful institutions of the European Union. Its powers are rather limited, in comparison to those of the Commission and the European Council. However, it is the only institution directly representing the voice of the ordinary people of the EU. It is therefore important for us, the people of Cyprus, to send people in the EP that truly reflect our feelings, ideas and thoughts, and not people serving partisan agendas. I am not saying that anyone of our current EP representatives has been acting so far in this way, at the same time though one particular EP’s activities and interventions cannot go unnoticed, for the exceptional fighting spirit he has shown all these 5 years in defending the rights of the people that elected him in this post.

We may not all agree with everything Marios Matsakis does or says, however, losing his presence from the EU parliament will be a backtracking to our cause, for we will send the wrong message to both the rest of Europe and the rest of our politicians that acting always in a “prudent” and “sensible” way -i.e. in a “good boy” manner, even when half of our country is illegally occupied, our historical heritage and consciousness are raped and our human rights are violated; is only what we as a people value and reward. No my friends, we also need to send the message that our fighting spirit is also there. We also need to send -and maintain sending, the message that while we chose the road of civility and a peaceful settlement, we are also angry with what has happened and continues happening against our country and its people. We also need to keep sending the message that we will not tolerate and /or compromise with injustice. The only person that has so far managed to successfully represent this other (equally important) aspect of our people’s feelings and thoughts, has been Marios Matsakis. He might have been a nuisance to some “good boy” mentality politicians, here and abroad, and he was indeed. So be it! The illegal occupation of our country, the theft and attempted eradication of our 4,000 year old historical heritage, and the violation of 1/3 of our people’s human rights by Turkey, is certainly much more than a nuisance to us, than what he has been to all those that hypocritically wish to play Turkey’s games in Cyprus.

Even though I personally do not agree with everything Matsakis says, I am of the view that we cannot afford to terminate his presence from the European Parliament, and regardless of his certain non backing by any sizable political party in Cyprus, I will ask Greek Cypriots to support his re-election. To do otherwise, is tantamount to sending some very wrong and negative messages to the rest of Europe and to our own politicians.

[CBBB]

Although Matsakis does sometimes highlight important issues that nobody else wants to talk about, generally he is just an embarassment to Cyprus.

Are the European elections run the same way as the House elections where you have to choose only one party or can you select candidates from different parties?

[CBBB]

No need to answer my above question as I have just checked and the elections are carried out in the same way as for the House of Representatives. As I don't see anyone forming a coalition that includes Matsakis, he has no chance of getting in, thank God.