Cyprus has concluded its 2023 Presidential election. It would turn out to be a historic election for the country. As noted by Cyprus Mail, for the first time the country has elected as president without a political party.
As a matter of fact, neither of the top two candidates in the race were officially members of a political party. Incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades was term-limited from running again in this cycle. Though, perhaps ironically, both of the finalists in the 2023 election were former administration officials under Anastasiades.
Christodoulides wins Cypriot presidency
Nikos Christodoulides has been elected as the next president of Cyprus. Christodoulides is a former foreign minister of Cyprus in the Cabinet of Anastasiades, as well as a former spokesman of the Government, a position that could be roughly equated with White House press secretary in the United States.
Christodoulides ran on a platform of unity, among political parties and among other identities. Cyprus has long been trying to grapple with strife among ethnic divisions. Perhaps most notably between its ethnically Greek and Turkish citizens, referred to as the 'Cyprus problem' by many. The most glaring example of this is so-called Northern Cyprus. A separatist region in northeastern Cyprus that claims to be its own country.
Though Turkey is the only member of the international community to recognize this. The rest of the world's countries consider it as part of Cyprus.
Until recently, Christodoulides was a member of Democratic Rally. One of the most storied political parties in Cyprus, it espouses moderate-to-conservative policies. Even as Christodoulides did not run as a member of the party, its voters seemed to go with him.
Andreas Mavroyiannis would be the other candidate to remain standing in the final round of the Cypriot runoff election. Mavroyiannis has held several government roles during the course of his career under multiple presidents. Including Anastasiades, for whom he was tapped as a negotiator between factions in the Cyprus problem.
Though he ran as an Independent, Mavroyiannis was backed by the communist Progressive Party of Working People. As well as the smaller, more moderate political party Generation Change.
Christodoulides is a former career diplomat
Nikos Christodoulides is a native of Geroskipou on the western coast of Cyprus. He would go on to be educated in the United States, Malta and Greece, receiving degrees in various topics, including political science and diplomatic studies.
Christodoulides would serve in several different diplomatic roles. His overseas duties would include ones in the United Kingdom, Greece and Belgium at the European Union. He would also become a faculty member at the University of Cyprus.
