Cyprus on Track to Join Schengen in 2026, President Christodoulides Confirms
President Nikos Christodoulides has reaffirmed Cyprus’ commitment to joining the Schengen area, assuring the public that all technical requirements will be resolved by the end of 2025, paving the way for full accession in 2026.
“This is a strategic decision for both Cyprus and the EU. We have the support of the European Parliament and are making a massive effort to complete all the technical aspects by the end of the year,” Christodoulides stated during a Mother’s Day event in Nicosia. He emphasized that Schengen membership was a pre-election promise and reiterated his administration’s intent to fulfill it.
In his address, the President also focused on demographic challenges, underlining the government's ongoing commitment to support large families. “From day one, large families have been a priority for us. We’ve already done a great deal in this area,” he said, pointing to state initiatives aimed at countering the country’s declining birth rate, which currently stands at 1.4%.
Christodoulides announced that a new set of measures is planned for early 2026, in addition to existing programs. These include possible increases in subsidies for families with four or five children to meet middle-class needs. “It’s a holistic approach,” he said, underscoring the urgency of raising the birth rate to the replacement level of 2.1%.
Addressing public concern over state shortcomings in tragic incidents, Christodoulides expressed solidarity with the families of Thanasis Nikolaou and Kyriakos, victims of separate systemic failures involving the National Guard and Takata airbags. He stated that the government must have safeguards to prevent such tragedies and is awaiting the conclusions of the Takata investigative committee.
“I stay in contact with Andriana Nikolaou [Thanasis’ mother], but I will not disclose any private conversations. I don’t want to exploit a mother’s pain,” he said.
On foreign policy, the President mentioned ongoing communications with UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguín. A meeting has been scheduled in Nicosia later this month as part of renewed efforts to address the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus Mail
