Nikos Christodoulides

Nikos Christodoulides (born 6 December 1973) is a Cypriot politician, former diplomat and academic, and the 8th and current President of Cyprus. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and Spokesman of the Government from 2014 to 2018, under President Nicos Anastasiades.
Christodoulides started his career as a diplomat in 1999 and also worked as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Cyprus from 2007 to 2010. He then served in the second-term government of President Anastasiades, until resigning in January 2022 in order to run in the 2023 Cypriot presidential election. He defeated Andreas Mavroyiannis in the run-off and assumed office on 28 February 2023, becoming the island's first leader to be born in an independent Cyprus.
Early life and education
Christodoulides was born in 1973 in Geroskipou, Paphos district, to a Greek Cypriot family. His father is from the village of Choulou and his mother's family is from Geroskipou.
He graduated from the Archbishop Makarios III Lyceum in Paphos in 1991, and completed his compulsory 2-year military service in the Cypriot National Guard in 1993.
Christodoulides attended Queens College, City University of New York, majoring in Political Science, Economics, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, before graduating in 1997. He then pursued postgraduate studies in Political Science at New York University and in Diplomatic Studies at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC), University of Malta.
Christodoulides earned a PhD in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Athens in 2003.
Career before presidency
Academic
Christodoulides lectured and worked as a non-tenure track research associate in the Department of History and Archeology at the University of Cyprus. He taught on the "History of the Postwar World".
Diplomat
Christodoulides entered diplomatic service in 1999. He held various posts, including Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Spokesman of the Cyprus Presidency to the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Cyprus to Greece, Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Consul-General of the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom. Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Spokesman of Government
Christodoulides was appointed Government Spokesman on 14 April 2014. He stepped down upon the conclusion of President Anastasiades's first term on 28 February 2018.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
On 1 March 2018, after the re-election of President Anastasiades, Christodoulides was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 6 March 2018, he 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 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, he said that the "number one goal is the reunification of the country."
In May 2018, Christodoulides officially asked the United Nations to prepare for a speedy resumption of the reunification process. After meeting Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on 7 May 2018, he praised Secretary-General António Guterres for despatching a UN Special Representative to sound out the atmosphere for resuming talks.
In June 2018, he 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. In June 2018, Christodoulides welcomed an announcement by ExxonMobil executives 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 but commenced in 2021.
On 17 July 2018, he met EU 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."
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".
Christodoulides was made a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre in 2018 and was awarded the Order of the Serbian Flag on 5 April 2021 by President Aleksandar Vučić.
2023 election and presidency
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. The next day, he resigned as Minister and was replaced by veteran politician Ioannis Kasoulides on 11 January 2022.
In June 2022, he formally announced his candidacy as an independent candidate, despite being a member of DISY, which fielded Averof Neofytou as its presidential nominee. On 5 January 2023, following the official filing of his candidacy, he was formally ejected from DISY by the party's governing body.
Christodoulides gathered support from smaller parties, including DIKO, EDEK and DIPA, while managing to sway a large portion of DISY supporters. He won the first round of the presidential election with 32.04% of vote, and was thereafter backed by President Anastasiades. After winning the second round with 51.92% of the vote, against the 48.08% of AKEL-backed independent Andreas Mavroyiannis, Christodoulides was declared president-elect.
Christodoulides was inaugurated on 28 February 2023. He declared that his prime focus was finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Personal life
Christodoulides is married to Philippa Karsera, a Greek Cypriot diplomat from Dora. They met in 1999 as newly appointed diplomatic attachés in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Philippa served at the Cypriot High Commission in London and then at the Embassy in Athens and the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union in Brussels. She was then promoted Deputy Director of the President's Diplomatic Office at the Presidential Palace, Nicosia. Styled Minister Plenipotentiary. From February 2022, she led the crisis management directorate in the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The couple have four children together.
Publications
Christodoulides has contributed to domestic and international academic journals and is the author of two books: Plans for Solution of the Cyprus Problem 1948–1978 published in 2009, and Relations between Athens and Nicosia and the Cyprus Problem 1977–1988 published in 2013.
Honours and awards
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Orthodox Crusaders of the Holy Sepulchre (22 March 2018)
: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (4 October 2021)
: Order of the Serbian Flag, First Class (4 May 2021)
: Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (13 March 2023)
References
1973 births
Living people
People from Paphos District
Candidates for President of Cyprus
Cypriot diplomats
Cyprus Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Greek Cypriot politicians
Greek Cypriot people
New York University alumni
Queens College, City University of New York alumni
University of Cyprus alumni
University of Malta alumni
Presidents of Cyprus