More than 70 per cent of Cypriots are pro-EU, says Christodoulides

Forging a connection between the European Union and its citizens is of fundamental importance and will be made a priority during Cyprus’ EU Council presidency, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday.

“Public support for the EU in Cyprus exceeds 70 per cent, one of the highest in the European Union,” Christodoulides said.

Delivering a speech at the meeting with the European Committee of the Regions, the president declared that Europe must become more self-sufficient in terms of its defence and security, as well as its unity and competitiveness.

“It is time to work so that European autonomy is much more independent,” he said.

Christodoulides went on to present the Republic’s agenda for the presidency, outlining how its three central points aimed to tackle these issues.

Alongside bridging the gap between the EU and its citizens and strengthening its autonomy, he said that Cyprus’s proximity to the Middle East could improve relations between the region and the EU.

He emphasised that as a small member state “with no hidden agendas and an honest broker”, Cyprus was equipped to tackle these goals “by addressing the challenges that our citizens face every day.”

In her response to Christodoulides, [resident of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and former mayor of Budapest, Kata Tutto, highlighted the crucial role of regional and local authorities in this aim.

“We are the local level – mayors and presidents of regions – and as representatives of the people we feel both the satisfaction and the anger of citizens much more directly,” she said.

She expressed concern over increasing centralisation both at national level and the level of the European Commission, asserting that the CoR’s focus with regard to the next EU budget will be on decentralisation and cohesion.

Rather than constructing a “high citadel in Brussels”, Europeans needed to see and get closer to decision-makers who understand their challenges, particularly in times of misinformation and rapid technological change, Tutto said.

The EU’s budget is regulated in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with the currently running framework, amounting to €1.211 trillion, having entered into force in 2027.

The upcoming MFF, covering the European Union budget from 2028 to 2034, is expected to receive official confirmation and adoption by late 2027, to become effective on January 1, 2028.

The CoR is one of the EU’s two consultative bodies. Established in 1992, it comprises local and regional representatives who perform their duties independently and represent their regions in the EU decision-making process by issuing opinions and resolutions.

According to the CoR, more than 70 per cent of the EU’s legislation has direct impact on Europeans both in rural areas and cities.

In 2025, the EU’s contribution to the financing of the expenditure of the CoR amounted to €113.5 million.