Stress test on Cyprus

Of course the Cypriots know better than anyone else whether it is in their best interests to move toward a federation or whether they find today’s situation viable and satisfactory. No one else should try to affect their judgment, but it would be useful to know whether there is a third choice, where those who oppose today’s process can see a viable solution that is neither the status quo nor a federation. Ankara might imagine that the best outcome would be its annexing the territory it occupies, but what could Greek Cypriots and Greece see as an improvement beyond today’s division or a federation? We often see extremists determining developments in societies with their demands and hyper- bole. In most cases, though, the responsible, centrist parties try to resist. So how can we interpret the ease with which so many parties in the Cypriot Parliament sided with the extremist ELAM with its two MPs? Did they not see that in other countries whenever mainstream parties adopt the language and methods of extremists it is the latter who gain, as they gain credibility among more citizens? Or do they think that tension between the island’s two communities serves their interests? In any case the breakdown in trust between Anastasiades and Akinci is a great loss and it is hard to imagine how either of their communities will benefit. Anastasiades has his eye on the alliances that he needs for next year’s presidential elections, while