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Revision as of 20:34, 23 February 2023

Nikos Christodoulides
Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης
Christodoulides in 2019
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
1 March 2018 – 11 January 2022
PresidentNicos Anastasiades
Preceded byIoannis Kasoulidis
Succeeded byIoannis Kasoulidis
Spokesman of the Government
In office
14 April 2014 – 28 February 2018
Preceded byChristos Stylianides
Succeeded byProdromos Prodromou
Personal details
Born (1973-12-06) 6 December 1973 (age 50)
Geroskipou, Cyprus
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Rally (until 2023)
SpousePhilippa Karsera
Alma mater
OccupationPolitician, diplomat
ProfessionPolitical scientist, historian
Signature
Nikos Christodoulides's voice
On his meeting with Michel Barnier
Recorded February 2019

Nikos Christodoulides (Template:Lang-el; born 6 December 1973)[1] is a Greek Cypriot politician, former diplomat, academic, and 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.

For much of his career, Christodoulides worked as a diplomat. In 2003, he received a PhD in Political Science from the University of Athens, and was a lecturer and researcher at the University of Cyprus between 2007 and 2010. Afterwards, he worked in various roles in the second Anastasiades government, including as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In January 2022, he resigned from his post as Minister and ran as an independent in the 2023 Cypriot presidential election with the backing of centrist and right-of-centre parties. He was subsequently endorsed by the Democratic Party (DIKO), Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK), Democratic Alignment (DIPA) and Solidarity Movement parties.[2]

In the 2023 Cypriot presidential election, he won 32.04% of the popular vote in the first round and 51.92% in the second round, thus becoming president-elect.[3] He is to take office on 28 February 2023, and will be the first president to have been born in an independent Cyprus upon taking the position.

Early life

Christodoulides was born in Geroskipou, Paphos, on 6 December 1973, to an ethnic Greek Cypriot family. His father was from the village of Choulou, in mountainous Paphos, and his mother was from Geroskipou.

Education

He graduated from the Archbishop Makarios Lyceum high school in Paphos in 1991.[4]

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.

In 2003, he received his doctorate from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens.[5]

Career before presidency

Diplomat

From 1999 to 2013, Christodoulides worked as a career diplomat. 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.

University and government appointments

From 2007 to 2010, Christodoulides lectured and served as a research associate at the Department of History and Archeology of the University of Cyprus. As a Specialist Scholar he taught on the "History of the Postwar World".[4]

Between 2013 and 2018, he served as director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus. He also served as Government Spokesman between 2014 and 2018.[5]

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Christodoulides meets with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin on 22 March 2018
Christodoulides meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in November 2018

On 1 March 2018, Christodoulides was appointed to the cabinet of Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after his re-election as Minister of Foreign Affairs.[2]

On 6 March 2018, Christodoulides stated that Nicosia would not be swayed by Turkey's incursions into the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus. During a meeting on Greek-Cypriot cooperation with Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras, he said that the "number one goal is the reunification of the country."[6]

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.[7]

In June 2018, Christodoulides visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. They discussed regional developments and the strengthening of bilateral ties in energy and emergency situations. They also discussed Turkish incursions and strategic cooperation on the planned EastMed pipeline.[8]

In June 2018, Christodoulides welcomed an announcement by Exxon representatives to speed up their schedule to begin drilling operations in Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Operations were planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018.[9]

On 17 July 2018, Christodoulides met High Representative Federica Mogherini in Brussels. They discussed the potential role of the EU in resuming stalled peace talks with Turkey. During his visit, Christodoulides stated that Cyprus does "not have the luxury of a new talks' failure" and that "Turkey has to comply with European standards and international law."[10]

On 15 July 2020, he commented on the 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, condemning the "ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan" and calling for "restraint of the parties to de-escalate the tension in the region".[11]

On 5 April 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 on whether he would run in the 2023 Cypriot presidential election, Christodoulides expressed his interest at a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 9 January.[13] The next day, he resigned as minister and was replaced by veteran politician Ioannis Kasoulides on 11 January.[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, respectively the island's third- and fourth-largest party. On 5 January 2023, following the filing of his candidacy, he was formally ejected from DISY by the party authorities.[15] A July 2022 opinion poll said he appeared to maintain a comfortable lead over the other candidates.[16]

He won the first round of the presidential election with 32.04% of the votes, and was thereafter backed by incumbent president Anastasiades.[17] He won the second round with 51.92% of the votes, against the 48.08% of Andreas Mavroyiannis who was supported by the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), making him president-elect.[3]

Personal life

Christodoulides is married to Philippa Karsera, a Cypriot diplomat from Dora. They met in 1999, as newly appointed diplomatic attaches in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She worked at the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in London, the Cypriot Embassy in Athens, and the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union in Brussels. She also served as deputy head director of the President's Diplomatic Office at the Presidential Palace. Beginning in February 2022, she led the crisis management department in the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[5][18]

The couple have four children together.

Publications

Christodoulides has made contributions to many domestic and international journals, and is also the author of two books. In 2009, he published Plans for Solution of the Cyprus Problem 1948–1978,[19] and in 2013, he published Relations Between Athens and Nicosia and the Cyprus Problem, 1977–1988.[20][5]

References

  1. ^ "Christodoulides Nikos – Thessaloniki Summit".
  2. ^ a b "New cabinet announced". Cyprus Mail. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Kambas, Michele (12 February 2023). "Former Cyprus foreign minister wins presidential election". Reuters. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Director, Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus". concordia.net. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Minister, Curriculum Vitae". Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Provocations in EEZ dominate Christodoulides' contacts in Athens". Cyprus Mail. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Netanyahu and Christodoulides discuss regional developments". Cyprus Mail. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Christodoulides welcomes Exxon's intention to speed up drilling plans". Cyprus Mail. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Christodoulides and Mogherini discuss EU role in efforts to resume Cyprus talks". Cyprus Mail. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  11. ^ Christodoulides, Nikos (15 July 2020). "Statement of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs". www.pio.gov.cy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Vučić uručio orden šefu kiparske diplomatije Hristodulidisu". rts.rs (in Serbian). RTS. 5 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Κύπρος – Παραιτήθηκε ο Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης από υπουργός Εξωτερικών". 9 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Minister – MFA".
  15. ^ "Christodoulides struck from Disy party register". cyprus-mail.com. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  16. ^ Mavroudis, Christodoulos (6 July 2022). "New poll shows Christodoulides ahead in presidential race". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Ex-minister Christoulides wins Cyprus presidential election". AP News. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Philippa Karsera: The career diplomat, now she holds the title of Minister Plenipotentiary, who will also be Cyprus' new First Lady from March 1 2023. (PHOTO)". in-cyprus.philenews.com. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2018–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Cyprus
Taking office in 2023 		Elect
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