Conversation
Details
After gaining independence in 1959, the former British Crown Colony of Cyprus experienced an eventful history. After different population groups had initially lived together peacefully, an attempted coup by the Cypriot National Guard in 1974 brought about a completely novel situation. While the attempted unification with Greece failed, Turkey, which traditionally sees itself as the protector of Turkish Cypriots, occupied the north of the island and proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983, which is not recognised internationally. Nevertheless, the island has effectively been divided into a Greek-dominated south and a Turkish-dominated north ever since. The resulting Cyprus conflict is considered one of the longest-running conflicts in Europe and the only one that directly affects an EU member state. The Republic of Cyprus applied for membership in the European Union in 1990 and, after far-reaching reforms in the course of the biggest enlargement to date, was admitted to the Union on 1 May 2004 along with nine other states. In recent years, talks on a possible reunification of the island have been attempted repeatedly, but failed due to the differing ideas of the two Cypriot delegations and their protectors, Great Britain, Greece and Turkey. The last round of talks took place in April 2021 under UN mediation in Geneva, but again ended without results. The Christian Democratic/Conservative "Democratic Rally" (DISY/EPP) emerged victorious from the 2016 parliamentary elections. Although they currently still lead in opinion polls, they have lost popularity in recent months.
What is the significance of the parliamentary elections in the Cypriot presidential system? What issues dominated the 2021 election campaign? What role does the still unresolved Cyprus conflict play in politics and electoral behaviour? What implications does the election result have for Cyprus' role in the European Union?
The event "The Morning After – Cyprus has voted" will take place on Monday, 31 May 2021 from 09:30-10:15 CET via Zoom. We look forward to discussing the above-mentioned topics with Henri Bohnet, Director of the KAS Office for Greece and Cyprus. After the conversation between Mr. Bohnet and Dr. Hardy Ostry, Director of the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the audience will have the opportunity to contribute their questions to the discussion. The event will be held in German and will also be simultaneously translated into English.
To participate in the event, please register under this LINK.
We look forward to your participation!
