Political backlash over foot-and-mouth disease management in Cyprus

The Cypriot government is facing intense pressure from the opposition parties AKEL and DISY regarding its handling of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Opposition leaders, including DISY president Annita Demetriou and AKEL's Stefanos Stefanou, have demanded the resignation of Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou, citing a pattern of poor crisis management following previous issues with wildfires and water supply. Critics argue that the government reacted too late to the disease, which was first detected in the occupied areas in December, and highlight discrepancies in culling protocols between the government and European Union regulations. DISY has proposed establishing an expert committee, clear public guidance, and a transparent compensation scheme for affected farmers. Minister Panayiotou maintains that she is managing long-standing systemic issues and dismissed the calls for resignation as election-period political maneuvering. She confirmed that all ministers have their resignations at the disposal of President Nikos Christodoulides. The conflict continues to escalate with potential parliamentary sessions pending as farmers report severe economic losses.