Dissatisfaction because ‘government set bar so high’

The government remains steadfast in its commitment to implementing policies and advancing projects integral to its ambitious agenda, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Monday responding to an opinion poll over the weekend that showed the president’s dwindling popularity.

The poll, commissioned by newspaper Phileleftheros and carried out by Pulse Market Research during the last week of February, showed just 26 per cent of Cypriots to be satisfied with President Nikos Christodoulides, while 69 per cent are dissatisfied with him.

These figures represent an unprecedented drop in public satisfaction with Christodoulides, who just a year ago had satisfied 41 per cent of respondents.

While acknowledging the results of the poll, Letymbiotis stressed that “they do not dictate governmental actions.

“The President received a resounding popular mandate for a five-year term just last year,” he told CyBC radio.

Christodoulides, according to the poll, has least satisfied people aged between 40 and 59. Just 19 per cent of voters in that age bracket expressed satisfaction with him, while 78 per cent expressed the opposite opinion.

Letymbiotis attributed the fluctuation in popularity to “the ambitious objectives set forth by the government, thereby fostering heightened public expectations.

“The president himself will address these findings on Tuesday, which shows his willingness to engage with the public on all levels,” he added.

Letymbiotis then stressed the government’s practice of meticulously scrutinising and interpreting poll data “to gather meaningful insights”, reiterating that such surveys only provide a snapshot of a particular moment, which could be subject to numerous influencing factors.

Letymbiotis also highlighted notable government achievements during his radio interview, including “Cyprus maintaining an investment-grade rating from all major rating agencies since its first year in office”.

Additionally, he cited the European Commission’s latest forecasts indicating Cyprus is poised for the second-highest growth rate among Eurozone countries this year, with a projected real GDP increase of 2.8 per cent.