When the Republic of Cyprus first took over the Council presidency in 2012, the European Union was struggling to contain the fallout of a financial crisis that was approaching its peak. The eurozone and its cohesion were under constant pressure, while countries such as Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland were in financial assistance programs.
Cyprus itself was no exception. While holding the presidency, the country was grappling with severe problems in its banking sector, which would force it into an EU- and International Monetary Fund bailout just a few months later. The EU-IMF bailouts were financial rescue packages provided during the eurozone crisis.
Speaking to DW, Cyprus’ then-Foreign Affairs Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis recalled that in 2012, “the strategic agenda focused on addressing the eurozone crisis, promoting growth, employment and competitiveness, modernizing public administration and strengthening the single market.”
New environment, new priorities
Fourteen years on, Cyprus is taking on the presidency for a second time, in a markedly different context. The European Union is now being called upon to redefine its role as a political actor amid prolonged geopolitical tensions, both in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Commenting on the current environment, Kozakou-Marcoullis said Europe today is “facing new and unprecedented challenges stemming from Russia’s war against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, within a rapidly changing global landscape and growing instability.”
According to the diplomat, the EU appears determined to assume a more prominent leadership role in addressing these challenges — a stance reflected in the strategic agenda adopted by the European Council in 2024, covering the period through 2029. It is therefore only natural, she added, that the agenda of the Cypriot presidency reflect these priorities.
‘A self-reliant EU open to the world’
Indeed, when Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides presented the priorities of the presidency on December 21 from Lefkara — a symbolic village in Cyprus, rich in cultural heritage — the objective of a more autonomous European Union capable of playing a role in global affairs was unmistakable.
“The Cypriot presidency will work for a self-reliant union that is open to the world,” Christodoulides said, outlining the overarching vision underpinning the five main pillars of the presidency.
According to the president, these pillars focus on security, competitiveness, enlargement, autonomy and fiscal balance.
Elaborating on these priorities, Christodoulides stressed that Cyprus will support initiatives in the field of defense and promote the agenda of European defense readiness by 2030, while also placing emphasis on strengthening the trans-Atlantic alliance. On competitiveness, he highlighted the need for energy security and the diversification of supply sources and routes through enhanced energy connectivity infrastructure.
Regarding enlargement, he referred in particular to Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, noting that the Cypriot presidency is committed to delivering tangible progress in the accession paths of these countries.
Focus on Ukraine, Middle East
Whenever Christodoulides speaks about the objectives of the Cypriot presidency — especially the goal of strategic autonomy for the European Union — he consistently refers to the crises on the EU’s eastern borders, notably Ukraine, as well as developments in the Middle East.
This was also evident at a recent European Council summit, where the Cypriot president linked the Ukraine issue both to the EU’s enlargement agenda and to discussions on security and defense.
Christodoulides had already signaled Cyprus’ priorities during his visit to Ukraine on December 4, stating that “Nicosia will do whatever is necessary” to ensure that Ukraine’s European perspective remains high on the EU’s agenda.
Describing enlargement not merely as a political choice but as a “geopolitical necessity,” he emphasized that the Cypriot presidency will seek to advance the accession process as a means of strengthening Europe’s collective security and democratic resilience.
Similar weight is expected to be placed on the Middle East. For the Cypriot president, strengthening the EU’s institutional ties with countries in the region is imperative.
“As the EU, we must clearly do much more, institutionalize our cooperation and demonstrate in practice what we often say — that the EU must have a 360-degree perspective,” he said in Brussels ahead of the start of the presidency.
Europe’s borders as a key challenge
For Ioannis Kasoulides, Cyprus’ foreign affairs minister for three terms, most recently from 2022 to 2023, the linkage between the war in Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East and the EU constitutes the core challenge of the Cypriot presidency.
He told DW that Cyprus must conduct a presidency in which the Ukraine issue is firmly embedded in discussions on EU foreign policy and defense, enabling the bloc to play the role it is expected to play globally.
At the same time, Kasoulides underlined that Cyprus, as the presiding country, can offer “added value in enhancing cooperation between the EU and the Middle East and the Arab world,” given Nicosia’s close relations with countries in the region.
He also stressed that President Christodoulides has already announced a summit to be held in Nicosia on April 23, 2026, bringing together the leaders of the EU’s 27 member states alongside countries from the eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf.
Edited by: Lavinia Pitu and Rüdiger Rossig
