Filenews 20 February 2026 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
While the parties agreed not to discuss Chapter D in the Plenary Session of the Parliament on the delays observed in energy projects in Cyprus, they took the opportunity, during the debate on the EAC budget (approved unanimously), to cross swords. At the forefront of the controversy were the Vasilikos terminal and the Cyprus-Greece electrical interconnection, both of which have been frozen and are the subject of an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Due to the pre-election period, the parties blamed each other for the delay in the arrival of natural gas in Cyprus, but also for influencing the citizens, who continue to pay inflated bills to the EAC.
AKEL: Nightmarish hours await the citizens
The General Secretary of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, warned that citizens will spend nightmarish hours in the summer and in the coming years due to electricity adequacy problems. He called on the Government to answer how to deal with the problem, blaming the long delay observed in the arrival of natural gas. "The Government may have received two bombs from the Anastasiades Government for the Vassiliko terminal and the electrical interconnection, but we don't know when we will see the natural gas," he added. He cited the positions of the EAC president in Parliament on the problem that arose with the supply of the units at the Dhekelia Station, stressing that "today there is not sufficient energy production from conventional means and every time the EAC technicians make their cross to operate the machines in Dhekelia". He also blamed the Anastasiades government for preventing the EAC from investing in RES, pointing out that now the EAC is having difficulty finding land to proceed with investments in RES. "Today we have cartels that make super profits in the RES sector and that is why AKEL submitted a bill, which I hope will be brought to the Plenary Session of the Parliament."
DIKO MP, Zacharias Koulias, stressed that AKEL and DISY in 2007 overturned the Papadopoulos Government's plan for the transport of natural gas by floating unit. "The two major parties have inherited losses of €1 billion," he added. For his part, Mr. Stefanou noted that at the time AKEL disagreed because the technocrats told them that this method was in the early stages.
DISY: We did not receive bombs, they have already exploded
For his part, DISY MP, Haris Georgiadis, said that he does not accept that the only government that bears responsibility for the delay observed in the arrival of natural gas is the Anastasiades government. As he said, when the government took over the governance of the country from AKEL, it did not receive bombs, as the containers in Mari had exploded. "This is the first time that a Government invokes the opposition mood that existed in the past as a reason for not making decisions," he underlined.
DIKO: We have no allergy
DIKO MP, Chrysis Pantelidis, responding to the Secretary General of AKEL, who left spikes for the cooperation that DISY has with DIKO, said that they have achieved a lot, both in cooperation with AKEL and DISY. "Although we were together in government, we worked with DISY to bring the euro to Cyprus," he indicated.
DIPA MP, Alekos Tryfonidis, argued that in the past decisions were taken that put obstacles in the way of the EAC's development program and its expansion to RES. He said that the obligation for battery storage for private individuals has been removed, which, as he said, is currently burdening the system and consumers.
EDEK MP Marinos Sizopoulos referred to an earlier proposal from Egypt for the supply of compressed natural gas, noting that "others insisted on liquefied natural gas". He also wondered why the EAC proceeded with a €140 million tender for diesel engines in Dhekelia, at a time when the process of coming natural gas is underway.
The MP of the Ecologists, Charalambos Theopemptou, referred to the environmental and health burden, as well as problems with the installation of smart meters, the obstacles to home photovoltaics and the delay in the implementation of the new electricity market.
