As the measure used for the countdown to the accession of Cyprus to the European Union has moved from years to months, and from months to days, so the list of bills proceeding through the Cypriot Parliament has grown. This has not caused undue concern in Cyprus itself. As a country with a small population and a correspondingly diminutive legislature, bills usually become law in a matter of weeks. For one bill, however, the wrangling has gone on for months.
A relatively high level of confidentiality has long been an attractive hallmark of the Cypriot banking sector. In a society that is by its very nature closer-knit and less anonymous than those of larger nations, privacy is highly valued. As the English playwright William Congreve wrote in Love for Love: “I know it’s a secret, for it’s whispered everywhere”. While the natural honesty and integrity that is vital in a family-based culture has also generally ensured fair play, the flows of information have been well regulated of necessity.
