The Republic of Cyprus gets a new President. 49-year-old Nikos Christodoulidis faces a number of challenges – and he has set himself an ambitious goal.
Cyprus’ former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis has won the presidential election in the small EU island republic. After counting all the votes, the 49-year-old conservative politician got 51.9 percent on Sunday.
Opposing candidate Andreas Mavrogiannis admitted his defeat. The former diplomat, who was mainly supported by the left-wing party AKEL, achieved 48.1 percent, as reported by the state broadcaster (RIK), citing the Ministry of the Interior in Nicosia.
New negotiations with the North announced
Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004. EU law only applies in the south of the island, not in the Turkish Cypriot north. It is expected that the island republic under Christodoulidis will continue to support the policy of sanctions against Russia because of the Ukraine war, although Cyprus has recorded large losses in the tourism sector. Cyprus’ politics will “stay on course with the EU,” Christodoulidis said on state television after his election victory.
In his own words, Christodoulidis, as president, wants to take care of restarting negotiations with the North. “We have to get out of the impasse,” he said on Sunday evening. The division since 1974 after a Greek coup and a Turkish military intervention is one of the most important issues for Cyprus and also repeatedly causes tensions between the EU and Turkey. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) is only recognized by the government in Ankara. Several thousand Turkish soldiers are stationed in the northern part of the island. A buffer zone is monitored by United Nations peacekeepers. Numerous mediations under UN auspices to overcome the division have failed. Talks have stagnated since 2017.
Migration and corruption are challenges
As a solution, the UN proposes the formation of a federation of two politically equal states. Ankara, on the other hand, wants to achieve a two-state solution. The Cyprus question thus remains one of the most difficult international problems, although it has long receded into the background in view of other major trouble spots. Christodoulidis will be the first Cyprus president who, due to his age, has no memory of the island’s division.
Christodoulidis also wants to fight corruption in Cyprus. The previous government had issued hundreds of passports to non-EU citizens in recent years. Some high-ranking politicians are said to have enriched themselves. The political scientist also promises to address the issue of migration. In terms of population, Cyprus has the highest number of asylum applications in the EU.
Christodoulidis is scheduled to be sworn in on March 1st in Parliament. The election took place only in the southern part of the island. The president, directly elected by the people, appoints the ministers and heads the government. The term of office lasts five years. The previous President Nikos Anastasiades did not run again after two terms.
Source: Stern
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