Nikos Christodoulides
Nikos Christodoulides (born 6 December 1973) is a Greek Cypriot politician, who is the president-elect of Cyprus. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and Spokesman of the Government from 2014 to 2018. Prior to entering politics, he was a career diplomat.
Nikos Christodoulides | |
|---|---|
Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης | |
Christodoulides in 2019 | |
| President-elect of Cyprus | |
| Assuming office 28 February 2023 | |
| Succeeding | Nicos Anastasiades |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 1 March 2018 – 11 January 2022 | |
| President | Nicos Anastasiades |
| Preceded by | Ioannis Kasoulidis |
| Succeeded by | Ioannis Kasoulidis |
| Spokesman of the Government | |
| In office 14 April 2014 – 28 February 2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Prodromos Prodromou |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 December 1973 Geroskipou, Cyprus |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Rally (until 2023) |
| Spouse | Philippa Karsera |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Politician, diplomat |
| Profession | Political scientist, historian |
| Signature | |
Christodoulides resigned from the second Anastasiades government in January 2022 amidst speculation that he would run for President in 2023. In June, he confirmed that he would run for President as an independent, without the support of his party DISY. He was subsequently endorsed by the DIKO, EDEK, DIPA and Solidarity parties.[1]
He won the first round of the presidential election with 32.04% of the votes, and was thereafter backed by the incumbent president Nicos Anastasiades.[2] He won the second round with 51.92% of the votes, against the 48.08% of Andreas Mavroyiannis who was supported by AKEL, to become President of Cyprus.[3] He is the first President to have been born in an independent Cyprus.
Early life
Christodoulides was born in Geroskipou, Paphos, on 6 December 1973, to an ethnic Greek Cypriot family.[4] His father was from the village of Choulou, in mountainous Paphos, and his mother was from Geroskipou. He graduated from Archbishop Makarios Lyceum in Paphos in 1991 and pursued a career in Political Science.
Career
Education
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, economics, Byzantine and Modern Greek studies from Queens College, City University of New York, a master's degree in political science from New York University and another in diplomatic studies from the University of Malta at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, and, finally, a doctorate from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens.[5]
Diplomat
Christodoulides began as a career diplomat in 1999 and served as one until 2013. During that period, he served as director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, spokesman of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Brussels, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Cyprus in Greece, director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and consul general at the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in the United Kingdom. His wife is also a Cypriot diplomat, Philippa Karsera. They met in 1999 as newly appointed diplomatic attaches in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among other senior posts, she has also served as deputy head director of the President's Diplomatic Office at the Presidential Palace. From February 2022, she is leading the crisis management department in the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[5]
University and government appointments
Furthermore, between the years 2007 and 2010, Christodoulides lectured and served as a research associate at the Department of History and Archeology of the University of Cyprus. Specifically, he taught the subject of "History of the Postwar World".[4] Finally, prior to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 1 March 2018, he served as director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus between 2013 and 2018, and Government Spokesman between 2014 and 2018.[5]
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Upon re-election in February 2018, the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, appointed Christodoulides as head of the foreign ministry, among several new appointments to his cabinet.[1] He assumed office on 1 March 2018.
Foreign minister Christodoulides visited Israel in June 2018 and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin to discuss regional developments and the strengthening of bilateral ties in energy and emergency situations. Apart from Turkish incursions, they talked about strategic cooperation on the planned EastMed pipeline.[6]
Regarding recent provocations by Turkey in disrespect of the Exclusive Economic Zone claimed by the Republic of Cyprus, Christodoulides noted that Nicosia will not be swayed by Turkey's actions. During a meeting on Greek-Cypriot cooperation with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, he said that the "number one goal is the reunification of the country."[7]
In May 2018, Christodoulides officially asked the United Nations to prepare for a speedy re-opening of the re-unification process. After meeting Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias on 7 May 2018, he praised General Secretary António Guterres for having dispatched a special representative to sound out the atmosphere for reopening talks.[8]
Christodoulides welcomed an announcement by Exxon representatives in June 2018 to speed up their schedule to begin drilling operations in Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Operations are now planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018.[9]
On 17 July 2018, Christodoulides met High Representative Federica Mogherini in Brussels. They talked about "the crucial role the EU can play in efforts to resume the stalled Cyprus peace talks". During his visit, Christodoulides stated that Cyprus does "not have the luxury of a new talks’ failure." But he also insisted that "Turkey has to comply with European standards and international law."[10]
In July 2020, reacting to the Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, Christodoulides condemned the "ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan" and called for "restraint of the parties to de-escalate the tension in the region".[11]
On April 5, 2021, Christodoulides was awarded the Order of Serbian Flag by the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić.[12]
Resignation as Minister and presidential campaign
After months of speculation whether he will be a candidate in the 2023 Cypriot presidential election, Christodoulides expressed his interest at a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 9.[13] The next day, he resigned as Minister, and was replaced by veteran politician Ioannis Kasoulides on January 11.[14]
In June 2022, he formally announced his candidacy as an independent candidate, despite being a member of the DISY. He was endorsed by DIKO, and EDEK, the island's third and fourth largest party, respectively. On 5 January 2023, following the filing of his candidacy, he was formally ejected from DISY by the party authorities.[15] In 2022, opinion polling suggested he maintained a comfortable lead over other candidates.[16]
In 2023, he won the first round of the presidential elections with 32.04% of the votes.He won the second round with 51.92% of the votes in the second round, against 48.08% of Andreas Mavroyiannis, supported by AKEL, to become president of Cyprus.[3]
Publications
Among contributions to many domestic and international journals, Christodoulides is also the author of two books. In 2009, he published Plans for Solution of the Cyprus Problem 1948-1978,[17] and in 2013, he published Relations between Athens and Nicosia and the Cyprus Problem, 1977-1988.[18][5]
References
- ^ a b "New cabinet announced". Cyprus Mail. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Ex-minister Christoulides wins Cyprus presidential election". AP News. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ a b Kambas, Michele (12 February 2023). "Former Cyprus foreign minister wins presidential election". Reuters. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Director, Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus". concordia.net. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Minister, Curriculum Vitae". Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Netanyahu and Christodoulides discuss regional developments". Cyprus Mail. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Provocations in EEZ dominate Christodoulides' contacts in Athens". Cyprus Mail. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Zypern bittet UN um sofortige Hilfe bei Wiedervereinigungsbemühungen" [Cyprus asks UN for immediate help in re-union endeavor] (in German). Handelsblatt. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Christodoulides welcomes Exxon's intention to speed up drilling plans". Cyprus Mail. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Christodoulides and Mogherini discuss EU role in efforts to resume Cyprus talks". Cyprus Mail. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ Christodoulides, Nikos (15 July 2020). "Statement of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs". www.pio.gov.cy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. from the original on 15 July 2020.
- ^ "Vučić uručio orden šefu kiparske diplomatije Hristodulidisu". rts.rs (in Serbian). RTS. 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Κύπρος - Παραιτήθηκε ο Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης από υπουργός Εξωτερικών". 9 January 2022.
- ^ "Minister - MFA".
- ^ "Christodoulides struck from Disy party register". cyprus-mail.com. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ Christodoulos Mavroudis (6 July 2022). "New poll shows Christodoulides ahead in presidential race". cyprus-mail.com.
- ^ Christodoulides, Nikos (2009). Τα σχέδια λύσης του κυπριακού, 1948-1978 [Plans for Solution of the Cyprus Problem 1948-1978] (in Greek). Athens: Ekdoseis Kastaniōtē. ISBN 9789600349948.
- ^ Christodoulides, Nikos (2013). Οι σχέσεις Αθηνών-Λευκωσίας και το Κυπριακό, 1977-1988 [Relations between Athens and Nicosia and the Cyprus Problem, 1977-1988] (in Greek). Athens: I. Siderēs. ISBN 9789600806007.