PRESIDENT Christofias of both the Cyprus problem and internal affairs is losing him popularity points, with almost half of the public feeling that the situation is only going to get worse for the Cyprus economy.
These are just some of the findings of a poll carried out by NOVERNA Consulting and Research, published in Politis newspaper over two days, yesterday and Sunday.
The main change in public perception of Christofias can be seen in their view of his handlings in the Cyprus problem. Compared to last year, there has been a 30 per cent drop in those who approve of his handlings – just 45 per cent of the public says it trusts the way the President is dealing with it, in comparison to last year’s 75 per cent.
However, his followers are still more than his opponents, with 30 per cent of the public stating that it disapproves of Christofias’ Cyprus problem dealings. A quarter of the public – or one in four of the Cypriots asked – didn’t take a stance and refused to answer.
Christofias has also lost grounds with the public when it comes to his internal policies, with just 44 per cent of the public stating their approval, compared to last year when it was 68 per cent. Nine per cent more Cypriots say they disapprove of the government’s internal handlings.
In contrast, opposition DISY seems to be regaining its lost popularity among voters, with the majority (25.7 per cent) saying they would vote for the right-wing party if there were parliamentary elections this Sunday.
Ruling party AKEL came second with 23.6 per cent, while coalition partners DIKO and EDEK trailed behind with 10.8 per cent and 4.3 per cent respectively.
The global financial crisis has inevitably affected Cypriots, with almost one in two (48 per cent) feeling the situation will get worse.
The number of Cypriots that know someone who has lost their job has increased compared to 2008, from 11 per cent to 17 per cent.
However, civilians seem to be more optimistic about their own financial status, with less Cypriots feeling negative about their future. On the contrary, the number of civilians feeling optimistic about their future has increased from nine per cent to 15 per cent. More than half the population are not expecting any changes in their status.
Expenditures for 50 per cent of Cypriots have remained the same since last year, while there has been a six per cent drop in those who fear they may lose their jobs.
Cypriots’ spending habits don’t seem to have changed much, despite the crisis, with some spending even more than last year on basic goods, clothes, shoes and entertainment.
Although there has been a small rise in people who have chosen to spend less, these make up for just 27 per cent of the population.
On a more positive note, there has been a reduction in splurges on things like household furniture (three per cent) and electrical appliances (also three per cent).
The poll concludes that the main reason for this hesitance in buying consumer and household good is the psychological factor, as the majority of those asked said they had the money to buy them, yet chose not to.
Finally, the majority of those asked – 37 per cent – approve of the Finance Ministry’s actions to deal with the crisis. However, almost a third of Cypriots was not in a position to respond, as they said they didn’t have a clear view of the government’s handlings.
