Introduction: Nationalism and Political Representation in Colonised Countries

This introductory chapter engages with the literature referring to nationalism and to the emergence of political parties in colonial contexts emphasising the British colonial experience in the Mediterranean. The Introduction presents the analytical and historical context of the book within a frame that accounts for the emergence and development of right-wing politics in Cyprus, as well as its transformations and subsequent manifestations. The frame stresses the particular cleavages in Cypriot society, the impact of British colonialism and the internal balance of power within the Greek community, which led to recurrent internal divisions. In this chapter I argue that internal political factors both between and within ideological camps were the main driving force for political positions. Nationalism in this regard, was employed in an instrumental way in political competition.