Crisis in Cyprus: “It’s like at Opel in Bochum”
Institute director Luley: “There’s only one subject of conversation” (Photo: Marcos Gittis)
2 April 2013
An island in a state of emergency: The Eurocrisis has hit Cyprus – and hard. For two weeks, Cypriots stood before closed banks and fretted over their savings. Now, everyday life is normalizing, but the worries remain. Björn Luley witnessed the nerve-wracking days.
Mr Luley, you have been the head of the Goethe-Institut in Cyprus for almost two years. How have you experienced the current situation in Nicosia?
Björn Luley: Apart from the protests, it is relatively calm. People go to work every day, but they are naturally alarmed. I’d compared their situation with that of many Opel employees in Bochum, where the site will be shut down next year: no one knows what the future holds. Between 80 and 85 percent of the Cyprian gross national product is generated by financial services. The crisis will therefore destroy many jobs and thus affect many Cypriots. Additionally, many of the foreigners who live here and work in the financial services sector will probably leave the island.
Can you feel the sense of crisis at your institute as well?
Our work goes on as usual; our events and language courses are taking place. The lives of our employees also go on as usual. But naturally there’s only one subject of conversation among the Cypriots. It would be the same in Germany if no one knew what was going to happen to their savings.
What do you notice of the resentment against Germany that is being reported about a great deal here?
So far, I have not experienced any resentment towards myself or the Goethe-Institut. But in such deep-seated crises, it’s almost understandable that some of the population is looking for a scapegoat to divert attention from the actual guilty parties. This role has been given to the Troika and the EU in general and to Germany with Angela Merkel and Wolfgang Schäuble in particular. Yet many people are increasingly aware that it wasn’t “the Germans” or the Troika who gave the order to buy Greek government bonds to help the supposed “mother country.” It’s become clear that it was their own bank managers who are now being condemned, criticized and told to go to the devil by many.
Does the Goethe-Institut have an account at a bank in Cyprus?
Yes, we have an account with Laiki Bank, which is going to be broken up or merged with Cyprus Bank. Luckily, we have less than 100,000 euro in this account, so we won’t lose any money.
Philipp Leist asked the questions.
