View from Brussels

By Theodosis Pipis

The “Fidias Phenomenon” has turned a number of heads here in Brussels. The moment I let someone know that I am from Cyprus the immediate reaction is “How do you feel about your Youtuber MEP?”

My reaction has always tried to remain diplomatic, “Ah, let’s give him a chance, you never know.” Well a month or so in his tenure he has shown nothing but immaturity and lack of any respect to those who entrusted him with the job (and the prestige and EU taxpayer money that comes with it). Despite promoting transparency between MEP and voter, he is showing his political immaturity.

He has taken the European parliament as another YouTube challenge to appease his teenage audience and risks further ridiculing the island in the backrooms of the EU.

Firstly, though he was advised by other Cypriot MEPs to join one of the established groups, so as Cyprus has a stronger voice in the parliament, Fidias highlighted his political naivety and went his own way, meaning that as an independent he is allowed one minute of floor time per month. One minute a month is where he has the opportunity to speak up and promote issues on Cyprus. This is a betrayal to his voters, especially during a term when Cyprus will have the EU presidency (2026). Recalling an informal chat with another of our MEPs it was mentioned that he was worried about the essentially “lost” seat of a Cypriot MEP. He was and is completely right. Instead of six MEPs to represent our island, we essentially have five, as Fidias has managed to make himself completely redundant in the political scene here in Brussels.

Secondly, I think the pressure of this role is now catching up to him and his true nature is coming to the surface. On Saturday, July 20, during the memorial service for the 50 years since the Turkish invasion, ten family members of missing persons had approached our stroppy MEP and asked for his support on the matter in organising an event. It was reported that he refused and spoke sarcastically and in a rude manner replied to one of the members “you must have a huge idea of yourself,” “who do you think you are?”, “this is not how the EU parliament works” (as if he has any clue whatsoever how it works), “I also have a missing person in my family but I don’t go around asking for help” and to close off “you’re not the only one who is an orphan.”

I think he is not really understanding what it means being a politician. This is not YouTube, your audience is not people who watch you to burn surplus braincells. Your job is to act for your people and to represent your people, something Fidias is utterly failing at.

He is failing those who sought to give him the chance. I can’t wait to see his blunders, however, I also would like to urge him to step down, given that he is simply wasting the Cypriot voice on the international stage and most of all is wasting EU taxpayer money. 

Double standards Ursula

Ursula Von der Leyen slammed the Hungarian leader’s visit to Russia amid peace talks. She denounced it as “nothing but an appeasement mission”.

I think the newly re-elected president of the EU commission, although right in slamming Hungary’s questionable visit to Moscow, should focus more on the EU’s accusation of double-standards.

Now that she has managed to win an election, (against herself), it is time to act on some other pressing matters which go beyond Russia’s war with Ukraine. Cyprus, an EU member state (something Ukraine is not), recently mourned 50 years since being politically betrayed and militarily occupied.

Furthermore, in three months we will be mourning the one-year anniversary of the Israeli invasion on Gaza (as well as the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians). Let us not forget how Von der Leyen rushed to comfort Netanyahu whilst his troops were obliterating civilian infrastructure and massacring innocents. Today, we are rapidly approaching 40,000 dead from Israeli actions.

Continuing to accept Netanyahu’s offensive of evil is appeasement. Hungary’s visit to Russia is appeasement. Both need to be seen in equal standing as the EU’s values are being put to the test both on our eastern border and on our southern border.

Theodosis Pipis is a desk Officer at DG EXPO, Euromed and Middle East Unit at the European parliament in Brussels