Interview with… H.E. Ms. Maria Papakyriakou
The “Interview with…” format regularly features European voices in the form of short interviews. On the occasion of Cyprus' EU Council Presidency since January 1, 2026, we spoke with H.E. Ms. Maria Papakyriakou, the Cypriot Ambassador in Germany, about the priorities of the Cypriot program. In the interview, she presents the key priorities of the Presidency – from strategic autonomy and competitiveness to EU enlargement and reforms to the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework – and places them in the context of current geopolitical challenges.
Madam Ambassador, on 1 January 2026, the Republic of Cyprus will take over the EU Council Presidency from Denmark for a six-month term. What are the key priorities of the Cypriot programme?
H.E. Ms. Maria Papakyriakou: On 1 January 2026, the Republic of Cyprus has assumed the EU Council Presidency for the second time since joining the EU, with a programme guided by the overarching vision of European autonomy. Our core objective is to strengthen the European Union’s capacity to act independently where necessary, while remaining firmly committed to openness, multilateralism and international cooperation.
The Cypriot programme is structured around five interconnected priorities.
First, the Cyprus Presidency will work towards a more autonomous and secure Europe. This includes strengthening the Union’s defence readiness and strategic autonomy, reducing critical dependencies, addressing hybrid, cyber and maritime threats, and supporting the swift implementation of key defence initiatives, including the White Paper on the Future of European Defence and the Readiness Roadmap 2030. Continued, unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression is a central element, alongside effective migration management, enhanced preparedness and resilience, and the protection of democracy and the rule of law.
Second, our programme places strong emphasis on competitiveness as the foundation of European autonomy. The Presidency will prioritise regulatory simplification, completion of the Single Market, strengthening industrial competitiveness, advancing the green and digital transitions, deepening capital markets, enhancing energy security and affordability, and reinforcing digital sovereignty in key technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Third, Cyprus will promote an autonomous Union, open to the world. Cyprus considers enlargement to be a strategic investment in Europe’s future, and is firmly committed to advancing the process in a credible, merit-based approach, including for the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova. The Presidency will also work to revitalise partnerships with the Southern Neighbourhood and the Gulf, strengthen transatlantic relations, diversify trade partnerships, uphold the rules-based multilateral system, and reinforce the EU’s role as a global provider of development and humanitarian assistance.
Fourth, our program underlines that European autonomy is rooted in its people and values. Our Presidency will focus on strengthening the rule of law, social cohesion and inclusion, tackling poverty, promoting affordable housing and energy, protecting children, advancing gender equality and disability rights, supporting youth participation, investing in skills, education and lifelong learning, and strengthening the European Health Union, with particular attention to mental health.
Finally, our program highlights that strategic autonomy requires a sufficient and well-targeted budget. Advancing negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034 is therefore a key priority, with the aim of shaping a balanced and mature framework that enables the Union to meet its long-term objectives, respond to crises, enhance competitiveness and security, and accommodate future enlargements.
Together, these priorities reflect an ambitious, results-oriented agenda aimed at reinforcing the EU’s autonomy, resilience and global role, while ensuring that no citizen or region is left behind.
EU enlargement and reforms go hand in hand. What concrete measures does Cyprus envisage to advance EU enlargement processes, particularly in the Western Balkans, and implement the necessary reforms?
H.E. Ms. Maria Papakyriakou: Enlargement is about completing a vision—one that unites Europe and expands the space of peace, democracy, security, and stability. It has proven to be one of the EU’s most transformative tools, fostering reforms in candidate countries and encouraging them to address longstanding challenges with their neighbors based on European law, values, and principles.
At its core, enlargement represents a strategic investment in Europe’s future. A future anchored on peace, security and stability. The Cyprus Presidency is firmly committed to advancing the enlargement agenda for the Western Balkan partners, as well as for Ukraine and Moldova in a credible manner, delivering tangible results through a merit-based process.
The Cyprus Presidency recognises Western Balkans as a region of strategic importance and an integral part of Europe’s security and stability architecture, particularly in the current geopolitical context. The EU has significantly stepped up its political engagement with the Western Balkans in the past years. Cyprus will therefore seek to continue to reinforce the EU’s role and visibility in the region, bolster its resilience, and actively support Western Balkan partners on their path toward EU membership.
In line with the European Council Conclusions of June 2024, progress on internal reforms must advance in parallel with the enlargement process. The aim is for both the Union and future Member States to be fully prepared for accession and equipped to contribute to a resilient, effective, and forward-looking EU. The Cyprus Presidency stands ready to steer work on the Union’s internal reform agenda once the Commission presents its in-depth policy reviews.
Negotiations on the next long-term EU budget (MFF) will also be a key task during your Presidency. What are Cyprus’ main plans and priorities in this regard?
H.E. Ms. Maria Papakyriakou: The Cyprus Presidency is committed to ensuring that the new MFF reflects the Union’s strategic priorities, addressing longstanding investment needs, as well as new and emerging challenges across the EU. A balanced agreement for the new MFF must reconcile the financing of economic challenges with the imperative, to promote sustainable growth, resilience, defence and security, competitiveness, and social cohesion within Member States’ fiscal constraints.
Cyprus Presidency will work in close cooperation with all the Member States, the European Commission and the President of the European Council, and with the active engagement of the European Parliament, to pave the way for a timely completion of the negotiations at the European Council. It will advance negotiations, building on the work done, with a sense of urgency and a view to political agreement, aiming to submit a mature negotiating framework with indicative figures by June 2026.
With the ambition of achieving a Partial General Approach, Cyprus Presidency also intends to significantly advance the negotiations on key elements of the MFF package, including the Regulation establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural development, fisheries and maritime policy, prosperity and security (National and Regional Partnership Plans and Interreg Plan), the European Competitiveness Fund and the Global Europe Instrument, as well as the sectoral regulations of the new MFF.
