A political row over the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) has erupted between Finance Minister Makis Keravnos and DIKO leader Nicolas Papadopoulos, exposing tensions over the government’s handling of the electricity interconnection project.
The dispute began after Papadopoulos questioned why Keravnos remained in government if he disagreed so strongly with a project President Nikos Christodoulides has said will go ahead. Keravnos responded by dismissing the criticism as “political nonsense”, prompting a sharp reaction from DIKO and, subsequently, support for the party’s position from opposition party DISY.
Papadopoulos questions Keravnos over GSI
The latest GSI political row followed an interview Papadopoulos gave to Politis last Sunday, in which he was asked whether DIKO was satisfied with the Christodoulides government’s handling of the interconnector.
Papadopoulos said contradictions remained within the government.
He welcomed statements by Christodoulides that the project would proceed and that Cyprus would make the payments it is obliged to make once the Greek government issues a NAVTEX for the resumption of work.
Papadopoulos said DIKO supported that position, arguing that the electricity interconnection would strengthen Cyprus geostrategically, improve the security of its electricity supply and reduce power prices.
He then turned his criticism towards Keravnos, accusing the finance minister of continuing to “demonise” the project without referring to studies or evidence supporting his position.
Papadopoulos questioned why the president would promote a project that, according to the finance minister’s assessment, could be damaging to the country.
“And if the finance minister disagrees to such an extent with this project, why doesn’t he resign?” Papadopoulos asked.
Keravnos dismisses criticism as ‘political nonsense’
Keravnos responded during an interview with ANT1 after being asked about the DIKO leader’s comments.
“I think we should be discussing serious issues here and not political nonsense,” he said.
“I belong to the party which Nicolas Papadopoulos is in. I don’t know whether he acknowledges that I belong to it.”
Keravnos said Papadopoulos’s remarks had not bothered him, adding that he always focused on “serious issues that concern the citizens of this country and the future of our country”.
The finance minister has repeatedly expressed reservations about the GSI, particularly over its financial viability and the potential implications for Cyprus’s public finances.
DIKO hits back at finance minister
Keravnos’s remarks prompted an angry response from DIKO, which said it regretted what it described as his dismissive comments towards Cyprus’s political parties and, in particular, DIKO and its president.
The party said references to “political nonsense”, “our politicians in Cyprus” and “obsessions” lowered the standard of political discourse.
DIKO also argued that its support for economic policies that contributed to Cyprus’s recovery and credit-rating upgrades demonstrated its political responsibility.
“DIKO does not accept lessons in political responsibility from anyone,” the party said.
Returning to the GSI dispute, DIKO said the question put to Keravnos was straightforward: if he considers the project harmful to the interests of the Republic of Cyprus, why does he not resign?
The party clarified that it had not directly demanded Keravnos’s resignation, but had questioned how he could remain in office while maintaining such strong reservations about a project supported by the president.
DIKO also accused Keravnos of persistently fighting the GSI, arguing that its own focus was on reducing electricity costs.
DIKO official suggests interview was misinterpreted
DIKO secretary-general Giorgos Solomou addressed the confrontation on SIGMA’s Protoselido on Tuesday morning, suggesting that Keravnos may have misinterpreted Papadopoulos’s political interview and taken the remarks personally.
Solomou questioned whether DIKO’s support for the Christodoulides government, including ahead of the state budget being submitted to parliament, could be dismissed as “political nonsense”.
“Mr Keravnos is not new to politics. We should be much more careful when referring to the people of a party and the president of a party,” he said.
Solomou pointed to DIKO’s support for government budgets and reforms as examples of the party’s backing for the administration.
Asked whether Keravnos belonged to DIKO, Solomou noted that the minister had been appointed to a semi-governmental organisation and later served as finance minister under former president Tassos Papadopoulos.
“He comes from the ranks of DIKO. Whether he disagrees with that now, I cannot know,” Solomou said.
“Perhaps he misinterpreted Nicolas’s interview and took it as a personal matter.”
DISY backs DIKO in GSI dispute
The confrontation has also drawn intervention from DISY, which backed DIKO’s position on the Great Sea Interconnector and called on the government to provide “specific and convincing answers” about the project’s future.
DISY criticised both Keravnos’s tone and the conflicting messages emerging from the government.
“It is not possible for a project which the government itself describes as being of strategic and national importance to be accompanied at the same time by contradictory statements, hesitation and a lack of clear political will,” the party said.
DISY said the GSI should strengthen cooperation between Cyprus and Greece while providing the foundation for broader electricity interconnections with the EU, Israel and other countries.
It argued that such connections could help end Cyprus’s energy isolation and increase competition in the electricity market for the benefit of consumers.
The opposition party’s intervention puts DISY and DIKO on the same side of the GSI political row, despite DIKO being the principal party supporting the Christodoulides administration.
The dispute also highlights the contrasting positions within and around the government over a project that the presidency regards as strategically important while its own finance minister has repeatedly raised concerns about its financial viability.
Also read: What is the UN General Assembly and what does it mean for Cyprus?
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