Stefanou on Raouna row: Opposition to govt is not necessarily anti-Europeanism

Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou on Friday moved to defend his party’s decision to vote against a government bill which would have extended European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna’s term in office by five months amid a heated debate between the government and Disy, which also voted against the bill on Thursday night.

“What is known is the president’s reaction when he receives criticism. He blames everything on the opposition or on perceived anti-Europeanism. Of course, we have a different perception. However, this does not mean that everyone who disagrees with the government is anti-European,” he said.

Like Disy, he also criticised the government for submitting the bill to extend Raouna’s term of office, which is due to conclude at the end of this month, at the “last minute”.

“If there had been proper planning, the government would have known at the time that it would need this extension. It cannot come at the last minute, with an emergency procedure, and ask parliament to make a decision immediately,” he said.

Instead, he added, the matter should have been referred firstly to the House foreign affairs committee, “so that the government could explain the reasons why the extension was deemed necessary”.

“If the explanations convinced us, then we would decide accordingly, but first, we had to know the reasons,” he said.

He also made reference to the only other occasion during which Cyprus held the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency, which has thus far in Cypriot history been the only occasion which has predicated the appointment of a European affairs deputy minister, the deputy minister of the day, in 2012.

At the time, late president Demetris Christofias appointed Andreas Mavroyiannis to the post, and Mavroyiannis remained in office until the end of January 2013, exactly a month after Cyprus’ six-month term came to an end.

In referencing this, Stefanou was insinuating, like Disy, that the existence of a European affairs deputy minister without Cyprus holding the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency may be surplus to requirements.