Cypriot president irked by reporter’s ‘Cyprus for sale’ jibe

The Cypriot president has reacted angrily to a question from a German journalist who asked if his country was for sale.

Cyprus is the fifth eurozone country to ask for EU bailout money.

Dimitris Christofias offered this riposte to the reporter from Germany’s ZDF television channel who quizzed him on the state of his country’s public finances.

“Cyprus island is not for sale and the Cypriot people have their dignity so don’t challenge me with such provocative questions,” he said.

Cyprus is expected to ask for ten billion euros – more than half the size of its economy.

It needs the money to shore up the country’s banking sector, which is heavily exposed to debt-laden Greece.

Germany, the eurozone’s richest member, has provided over half of the EU’s 440 billion euro emergency fund amid rising public opposition.

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