A Federal Cyprus in a Federal Europe
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Abstract
It would be a great omission to debate matters relating to the European Union and Cyprus, and ignore the tact that they have both resorted to federalism as the way for their future. The European Union first embarked on the federal project some decades ago, while Cyprus is considering adopting a federal solution as a way out of its present political impasse. This paper briefly considers federalism in its main forms and the choice of federal modes of political organization by the European Union and Cyprus. It then notes how consociational/consensus features have been an integral element of federalist arrangements in both cases. However, whereas the consensual elements seem to have worked quite well in the case of the European Union, the same does not seem to apply in the case of Cyprus; a main reason relating to the absence of a suitable political culture in the fatter. It finally considers how accession to the European Union can strengthen civil society and citizenship in Cyprus, thereby improving the chances for success of consensus politics and federalism.
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