Press Releases

28 February 2023 

Mr President of the Republic,

Madam Speaker of the House,

Ministers,

Members of the House

It is with deep emotion that I stand before you today to give my affirmation as the eighth President of the Republic of Cyprus.

With respect for the popular mandate granted to me by the Cypriot people in the election, I declare my readiness to undertake the governance of the country. I have full cognisance of the need for total dedication to the state, its institutions, the citizens and the broader public interest, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and its laws.   I am fully aware of the heavy historic responsibility, which I undertake with a sense of pride, awe and determination.

As I stand here today in this emblematic building in order to give my official affirmation, please allow me first to express my unlimited respect for the sovereign Cypriot people and to all of you, its representatives, expressers and defenders of the peoples’ will at this supreme legislative body.

I assure you that within the framework of my vision for the Cyprus of the future, I will always hold in absolute respect the role of the House of Representatives as the body that expresses and protects the public interest. As head of the executive power, I will do all in my power to ensure that we will work together in harmony.

I therefore look upon you all as fundamental, institutional associates and valuable partners in the common effort to lead Cyprus towards the future, to make it stronger, more just, safer, prosperous for its entire people, with equity and equality, with opportunities without discrimination, which will care for the weak and give greater protection to those who need it most.

It is important to remember that after almost 63 arduous years since the birth of our nation, the 1955-1959 struggle that preceded independence, and the maturation of the state, which was marked by the Turkish invasion and occupation of 1974, the consequences of which we are still experiencing, as a state, we have travelled a thorny road. The people of Cyprus have endured many ordeals as a result.

We faced enormous challenges in our efforts to establish and promote the status of our country, our security, economic development and social prosperity while the wound of our great national problem remains open, and while the people of Cyprus are unable as a whole to enjoy their basic freedoms and human rights.   

Despite the tragic socioeconomic and political consequences of the Turkish invasion and continued occupation, our Republic has survived. This was the result of the resistance, persistence and endurance of its citizens, and the struggles of the political leadership to obtain powerful recognition from the international community. This was reinforced by the accession of Cyprus to the European Union and the inclusion of its economy in the hard European nucleus of the Eurozone.

Madam Speaker of the House of Representatives,

I address myself to you personally as the second in command of the Republic, in order to point out that it is the first time that representatives of the post-war generation are at the helm of the state. I have no doubt that you too are aware, as am I, of the importance of this, not only in its symbolic sense, but also as a matter of substance. Because the younger generations in particular are looking to us and hoping that we will give them the quality of life and the future they deserve; that we will leave behind practices and approaches of the past, and that we will lead as positive role models. 

The burden is heavy and the responsibility great, and, for this reason, we must work collectively, with mutual respect, harmonious cooperation and beneficial synergies for the people that will bring about the required changes and reforms in all vital areas based on the principle of equality and respect for universal values and freedoms.

I wish to assure you of my sincere desire for productive cooperation at all levels, both for the smooth functioning of the state and for the promotion of the interests of our country and our people at the international level.  

The House of Representatives is indeed a basic pillar of our system of government.  In addition to its legislative role, its mandate under the Constitution is to exercise controls in the name of the sovereign people. My Government will faithfully uphold all its obligations towards the House of Representatives, in a spirit of cooperation, with absolute respect for the principle of the separation of powers and for the role that each person has to play.  Our criterion will be the public interest, not as an abstract idea but as the very concrete inviolable principle that our top priority must be the promotion and service of the rights of all the citizens of the Cyprus Republic.    It is from these citizens – regardless of ideological, political, economic background – that we draw our power and legitimacy, and it is to these citizens that we have a duty of service, and to them we must always be accountable.

At the same time, in order to build a stable basis of national unity, it is essential to ensure broad agreement at a political level within the institutional framework enshrined in the Constitution of our country.

The executive and legislative powers, the Presidency and the House of Representatives, must together achieve a workable relationship of added democratic value. In this way, we will ensure the most effective exercise of the legislative role and parliamentary scrutiny for the optimum governance of the country based on the necessary legislative reforms that will lead us towards the future we aspire to.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me, in this first official speech before the House of Representatives, to refer indicatively to just a few of the new practices which, as President of the Cyprus Republic, I wish to implement, particularly in connection to the cooperation with the House. It is my intention to discuss these in detail with the Speaker and the Leaders of the Parliamentary Parties over the coming weeks.

My aim is to jointly improve institutional cooperation through specific actions for the benefit of the citizens:    

 ·      As President of the Republic, I will speak before the House of Representatives on an annual basis and present to the House the legislative programme of the Government for the following year, as well as the results of the Government’s legislative work for the previous year. 

·        I will also convene regular meetings with the Speaker of the House and the Leaders of the Parliamentary Parties in order to exchange views and updates in connection with the country’s political priorities, the progress achieved regarding their implementation and the role of the legislative programme.

·       The Government Ministers will work in a similar way in close cooperation with the Presidents and members of the corresponding Parliamentary Committees, in order to ensure cooperation in the planning and formulation of the legislative programme that the executive power will propose.

·       In order to improve public consultations with concerned and interested parties who are affected by the introduction of new legislative provisions, we are elaborating ways to link the consultations that take place during the formulation of proposed bills of law, with the consultations that take place during discussions in the Parliamentary Committees.  

In addition to what I mentioned earlier and with a view to giving an indication of my presidency, allow me to note something that I consider of particular importance:

As President of the Republic, I will seek the highest levels of continuous and powerful scrutiny. To this end, I intend, in cooperation with the Internal Audit Service of the Cyprus Republic, to establish, as soon as possible, within the Presidency, a model Unit of Internal Audit and Ethics.

Of course, the most powerful oversight with regard to the President and the Government must be exercised by Parliament, and therefore the House must ensure that this will take place continuously and effectively. This ongoing scrutiny will be of a helpful and corrective nature so that the executive power will be better able to perform its mission.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The empty seats of the Turkish-Cypriot members in this room bear witness, among many other things, to the mutilation that our state has suffered. A mutilation that does not permit the true establishment of conditions of peace and security, or of the implementation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all Cypriots.

It is for this reason that I wish today to repeat before you my pledge that my top priority will be the solution of the Cyprus problem within the agreed framework, in order that our country can at last become a reunified, free, contemporary, European state, a common land of prosperity and security for all its legal citizens, without discrimination.

Naturally, I have no illusions. I am aware that all my predecessors, whose names I recall with respect, gave the same pledge: The first President, Archbishop Makarios, Spyros Kyprianou, George Vasiliou, Glafcos Clerides, Tassos Papadopoulos, Demetris Christofias, and the outgoing President, Nicos Anastasiades. They all left the Presidency without achieving the sincere dream of freedom and reunification for our country, despite their heartfelt desire to achieve this goal.

The reason for the failure to achieve reunification was that the demands of the Turkish side went beyond our own limits and beyond the limits that democracy and human rights impose on every modern democratic country and its citizens. Despite the compromises made over the years by our side. Even after the historic compromise of the acceptance of a Bizonal Bicommunal federation, Turkish maximalism has not permitted any effort to bear fruit in a way that would safeguard the interests of all the legal citizens of the island and no one else. Of course, this doeas not mean that our side never made any mistakes or omissions.   

Last week I had my first unofficial meeting with the Turkish-Cypriot leader.  I expressed to him my clear position that the current state of affairs cannot constitute the solution to the Cyprus problem and that I will do all that is humanly possible to create those conditions that will lead to a reopening of the dialogue based on the agreed framework for a solution of a Bizonal Bicommunal Federation. I also conveyed my sincere desire for a dialogue to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General. In the next few days, I will undertake initiatives, based on the positions I developed before the election, in order to break the deadlock, to ensure that the EU will be involved in a leading role at the highest level, always in the framework of the good services of the UN SG.  

From this formal platform of the House of Representatives, I address myself today to our Turkish-Cypriot compatriots. I wish to convey to them the message that the solution we are aiming for will serve the interests of all the Cypriots. The security and prosperity of us all is essential if we are to live in peace in our common land without divisions and without an army of occupation and foreign guarantees. Only in this way can we secure the future of our children without building on sand.    

If a solution is found for the Cyprus problem, the Cyprus Republic will be able to evolve into our common home within the great European family. This is the solution we envision.  I address myself also to our refugees, our enclaved persons, the casualties, the relatives of the missing persons, all those who are suffering because of the traumas of the invasion and continued occupation. I wish to assure them that they remain at the forefront of our efforts to end the occupation and reunify our homeland.

I could not of course fail to address the representatives of the three religious groups that are present here, and send a message of respect and appreciation to our fellow citizens: the Maronites, Armenians and Latins, whose concerns and expectations are also our own.

Finally, I would like to make special reference to the overseas Cypriots, with whom I have been blessed to have worked closely, and to assure them of my sincere desire to tighten our bonds further.

Leaders of the parliamentary parties,

I intend shortly to convene the National Council in order to share with you my thoughts for modernising and upgrading the body in order to render it more efficient and effective, with the necessary scientific and technocratic support, as dictated by the increased demands of the times and the new realities. As is rendered imperative by our sincere will for an overall solution to the Cyprus problem based on the agreed framework and in a European, workable and sustainable way, with respect for the principles of the EU and the European acquis.  

To this end, I await your constructive contributions. I repeat once again that I look upon you as institutional associates and valuable partners. The Cyprus problem is an existential issue. It has had a catalytic impact on our parents’ past; it affects our present and defines the future of our children. Failure to effect a solution will be an obstacle to the long term and enduring prosperity and security of Cyprus. That is why we must do everything in our power to achieve a solution. We owe it to those who have died with the longing to return to their homes; we owe it to those who will come and have the right to live in a peaceful, safe and prosperous homeland.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world is currently dominated by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, a tragedy evolving in the heart of Europe, which has led to a chain of political, economic and social repercussions. The Cyprus Republic, which has itself experienced similar adversities, has joined forces with those who are defending their righteous cause. It has joined its voice with those who are demanding the end of the occupation of territories of an independent and sovereign state. For Cyprus, which is itself the victim of an illegal invasion and ongoing occupation, there has never been and will never be any dilemma. We stand unreservedly with our partners at the side of the beleaguered people of Ukraine. This is what justice and our conscience dictates.

Our accession to the European Union defines the orientation of the foreign policy of the Republic of Cyprus, and our aim is for Cyprus to be a reliable and creative partner, with a substantive contribution to European affairs. In this framework, we will seek a further deepening of our relations with all neighbouring countries, and will invest even further in the enhancing of our relations with the United States, and of course, we will work creatively with important actors in Asia. 

Naturally, a point of reference in our foreign policy are our relations with Greece, which remains our closest, natural and devoted ally over the years. My intention is to tighten relations between Athens and Nicosia even further at all levels, to modernise our methods of cooperation and mutual support, and to fully utilise synergies within the EU and with third countries. In a few days, I will have the honour to meet with the Greek Prime Minister, to whom I will convey in detail certain early thoughts for tackling common challenges facing us, and to reinforce our cooperation, particularly in the fields of defence and security.

We have received a sound economy characterised by fiscal discipline, a stable financial system and a series of structural reforms. We will continue on the same course, we will build on what has already been achieved, and safeguard fiscal discipline while avoiding promises of excessive benefits. Our goal is to improve social cohesion and development. With a fiscal policy fully harmonized with that of the EU and the Eurozone in particular in which strict fiscal rules are in place. With a stable financial system, an essential parameter for a sound and strong economy, which will enable us to establish, among other things, a substantive and targeted social policy for our vulnerable fellow citizens. A critical tool for the economy is also the continuation of structural reforms and the full absorption of European funds for the green and digital transformation.

The energy wealth of Cyprus creates the conditions for strengthening synergies at the political and economic levels. The Republic of Cyprus will develop and implement its energy programme on the basis of its sovereign rights. The energy programme of the island is not directed against anyone – and I refer specifically to Turkey. Cyprus is recognised internationally as an agent for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region. It maintains excellent relations with all the countries of the region and Turkey could have a place in the bigger picture that we envisage.

For this to take place, Turkey must also demonstrate the necessary will, respect for international law and it must respond to its obligations towards the Cyprus Republic, which are also obligations towards the EU. Its insistence on out-dated views that are based on grandiose ideas, as well as revisionary and expansionary policies, constitute obstacles, not only for Cyprus but also for the region as a whole, and the interests of the EU.

Madam Speaker,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In order for a leader to be able to fight for the interests of his people with the prospect of success; in order for his negotiating position to be as strong as possible, whether in connection with talks aimed at solving major issues, like the Cyprus problem, or at the international level for building powerful international bonds that will bring resources and external support for the country, he must first have happy citizens.

No battle has ever been won and no struggle has found justice while its protagonists live in misery.

I do not like making grandiose statements. I will not generalize or make improbable promises. I will speak simply, sincerely and humanly:

I will work hard to make the lives of our fellow citizens better. To make them happier and proud. Not only because it is what they deserve, but also because this will reinforce our status as a nation, and will indirectly but decisively make Cyprus stronger in all its major pursuits.

That is why the people and a life of happiness are at the centre of my priorities, and this is what I will demand from the ministers and other state officials who will assume their duties tomorrow.

Human beings at the epicentre of all our policies. Human beings and the broader public interest – a fundamental element for a powerful and proud Cyprus.

In any case, it is in connection with the effective tackling of the important challenges of everyday life that the people will judge whether the political leadership is responding to the needs of the times, and their hopes and expectations.

The Programme of Government, which we formulated together with civil society, includes specific proposals relating to everyday life, which we are ready to implement with a view to providing immediate relief to our fellow citizens. We will do this through targeted economic measures aimed at solving important outstanding labour issues in order to safeguard industrial peace. For solving problems in education; for corrective actions in the health sector, always within the framework of NHS; for reviving the primary sector of our country; for expediting the digital transformation and the technological upgrading of the Public Sector; for the promotion of culture, the arts and letters.

The Programme of Government has a five-year horizon and we have specific plans that will lead to an improvement of the quality of life of all citizens – women and men, families, large families and single parents, persons with disabilities, workers, entrepreneurs, the youth, the elderly, children, students and school children, who are the seeds for the future of our country.

I can already see the Cyprus that I wish to bring about. I know very well what I want to leave behind when I have completed my term of office.

I will be happy if, through the updating of laws, structures and services, we will be able to combat corruption, cronyism, favouritism, and the granting of services based on friends and acquaintances. It is to nobody’s credit if interventions are needed in order to achieve the obvious: a necessary health service, an allowance at the right time, a licence for work, a job.  The aim is to fix the system in all the basic sectors, so that in this country, no one owes anything to anyone and there are equal opportunities for all.

Our aim is also to solve the everyday problems that bring hardship to thousands of people: from traffic problems and the absence of modern and environmentally friendly public transport, to the lack of services to assist parents, working mothers and the disabled. We aim for better schools, green cities, and higher quality health services with rehabilitation, mental health and detoxification centres.

In addition, one of the challenges that we must tackle urgently and which has an adverse effect on the everyday life of the citizens of Cyprus, is the issue of immigration.

We are all aware of the effects of this composite problem, which becomes extremely complicated because at its centre are human lives, which we have a duty to protect. It is true that in recent years significant improvements have been made to the inflexible and labyrinthine asylum system, which was subject to abuse. Nonetheless, the problem remains and is disproportionate to the size of Cyprus.

Our efforts will focus on expediting the asylum examination process with a view to increasing returns. The core of the problem, apart from the instrumentalisation of human suffering by Turkey, lies in the impression that Cyprus is an attractive destination for migrants as well as on a benefits policy that needs re-evaluation. We will try to change this, with due respect for all our international obligations.

As regards, the Judicial Power, I am aware that very important steps have been taken towards modernising the justice system, in cooperation with the other two power of government: the Executive and the Legislative. In 2023, Cypriot justice faces an enormous challenge, which is none other than the implementation of the important structural laws that were enacted in 2022, opening the way for the substantive reform that will have a positive chain of effects on the public and social life of Cyprus. From acts of law we must move on to deeds so that the legal world, and above all, citizens and businesses can gradually become aware of the substantive changes, particularly as regards the time frame for trying new cases, which will reinforce the rule of law, prevent offences and administer justice.   Over and above the disproportionate cost for the state, the long delays in trying cases also result in a denial of justice.

Equally important in our view is the reform of the system of Local Government, which is already on track for implementation in June 2024, when local elections will be held. The coming months will be definitive for this major step. This is an important change, which will require good will, tireless efforts, method and planning by all concerned.  

In certain other areas, such as tax reforms, pensions, as well as other issues that require the introduction of new approaches and procedures, we will proceed immediately to significant changes with the technocratic support of specialists.

I will repeat today what I have said earlier: I do not have a magic wand to effect immediate solutions. However, I do have a sincere political will, I have a plan and a programme, I am methodical, persistent and hardworking, and I have knowledge of modern methods for implementing policies. I am also cognisant of the fact that when the people of a country are not prosperous and happy, they can neither fight for nor dream of a better future.  

The only way for us to be in the vanguard of a world that is constantly changing, is to evolve more quickly, more fittingly and more effectively.  

Above all, though, as a state and as organisations, as politicians and as professionals, we must learn to evolve and improve.

Mr President,

Madam Speaker,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Both you and I are here because we were chosen by the sovereign Cypriot people, because we were entrusted by the citizens who placed in us their hopes for a better future.  

We placed ourselves in the judgment of the people who chose us to produce results and to depart in the fullness of time with a positive outcome not for ourselves but for the citizens of this land.

For many months, I deliberated with civil society, with ordinary men and women all over government-controlled Cyprus as well as in the Karpass and our Maronite villages. I listened to their views, problems, concerns and expectations in towns and villages. Before completing my programme, I spoke in depth with organised groups, organisations, social partners. I made specific proposals and on 12 February, I received a powerful popular mandate to set up a government of broad social acceptance. Through a union of forces and the utilisation of capable personalities, technocrats and politicians, this government, will respond to the expectations of the people of Cyprus. It will create prospects and hope, it will fight for the reunification of Cyprus, it will restructure the state, improve the people’s quality of life in all basic sectors, while at the same time reinforcing the sense of justice, meritocracy and equality.  

I can say with certainty that all the citizens of Cyprus have one specific expectation from me, my associates, and all of you, whichever party you belong to, whichever district we come from, whatever our age: to be united, dedicated to our goals, focused on solving the problems of everyday life and tackling the great national challenges. National unity is indeed a historic imperative.

We have a responsibility at all times for the strengthening of our state. For its security. We have a responsibility to create a prosperous Cyprus for all its citizens. We have a responsibility to create for our youth the future they deserve, and to inspire them to become active citizens themselves and be involved in public affairs. That is why it is our duty - for as long as we are involved in politics and public life - to work with the sole criterion of the interests of the people and the country. In the hope that we will be able to repay the confidence which the people of Cyprus have placed in us; never for a moment forgetting the ephemeral nature of power and the need to produce beneficial results before the end date.

For the outgoing President of the Cyprus Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades who took office – as we must all acknowledge, in the midst of the international economic crisis and on the verge of bankruptcy – the great challenge to which he responded with success, was the economic restructuring of Cyprus.  For me today, among other things, the great challenge is for modernisation, transparency, accountability, prosperity, hope and prospects for all the citizens.

With respect for the older generations and with sincere love for the homeland and the younger generations, with faith in our powers as well as in the absolute need for hope and prospects, today, on this official first day of the greatest act in the life of a politician, I undertake the responsibility to lead Cyprus towards what we all dream of:

A better, brighter, more just and hopeful land. As far as is humanly possible, with devotion to duty, with dedication and total transparency, I pledge before the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus that I will proceed with the sole objective of the public interest, of Cyprus, our wonderful homeland, and I will be President of all the Cypriots.

Thank you very much.

(MPO/NG)