President of Cyprus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Cyprus
Presidential standard of Cyprus
Incumbent Nikos Christodoulides since 28 February 2023
Executive branch of the Government of Cyprus
Style	Mr President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	European Council
Residence	Presidential Palace
Seat	Nicosia, Cyprus
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Five years, renewable once consecutively
Constituting instrument	Cypriot Constitution (1960)
Formation	16 August 1960; 64 years ago (1960-08-16)
First holder	Makarios III
Deputy	Vice President of Cyprus (de jure) President of the House of Representatives (de facto)
Salary	132,000 EUR annually

The President of Cyprus is a very important leader. They are the head of state and the head of government for the country of Cyprus. This means they are both the main representative of Cyprus and the person in charge of running the government. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the Cypriot National Guard, which is like being the top leader of the country's armed forces.

This important job was created by the Constitution in 1960. This happened after Cyprus became independent from the United Kingdom.

Cyprus is the only country in the European Union that has a full presidential system. This means the President holds both the roles of head of state and head of government.

The constitution says that the President must be a Greek Cypriot. They also need to be over 35 years old. People vote directly for the President in an election that has two rounds. A President serves for five years. They can be elected for a maximum of two terms in a row.

Nikos Christodoulides is the current President of Cyprus. He became President on February 28, 2023. He is the eighth person to hold this office.

What Does the President Do?

The President of Cyprus has many important duties and powers. They are elected by the people through a secret vote. Their term lasts for five years.

President's Main Powers

The President has the power to make laws official after they are passed by the House of Representatives. They can also say "no" to (or veto) new laws. This happens if a law is about Cyprus's foreign policy, security, or defense. The President can also send a law back to the House of Representatives to be reviewed again. They can even send it to the Supreme Court to check if it follows the Constitution.

The President also leads meetings of the Council of Ministers. This group is like the country's Cabinet. The President sets the agenda for these meetings. They can also veto decisions made by the Council if they relate to foreign policy, security, or defense.

Appointing Officials

The President chooses eleven ministers who form the country's Cabinet. These ministers help the President run the government. The President also has the power to appoint important independent state officials and judges for the Supreme Court.

How a President Can Leave Office

There are two main ways a President can be removed from office.

• First, if the Supreme Court finds them guilty of "high treason." This charge must be brought by the prosecutor general and deputy prosecutor general. It also needs approval from at least three-quarters of the members of parliament.
• Second, if they are found guilty of a serious offense that harms their honor or morals. This charge also comes from the prosecutor general and deputy prosecutor general. It must be approved by the president of the Supreme Court.

Past Presidents of Cyprus

Here is a list of the people who have served as President of Cyprus:

Key

• Elected unopposed (meaning no one ran against them)
• † Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Term			Political Party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Archbishop Makarios III (1913–1977)	16 August 1960	15 July 1974 (deposed)	13 years, 333 days	Independent	1959 1968 1973
–		Nikos Sampson (1935–2001) Acting De facto	15 July 1974	23 July 1974	8 days	Progressive Front	–
–		Glafcos Clerides (1919–2013) Acting	23 July 1974	7 December 1974	137 days	Eniaion	–
(1)		Archbishop Makarios III (1913–1977)	7 December 1974 (restored)	3 August 1977 †	2 years, 239 days	Independent	–
2		Spyros Kyprianou (1932–2002) Acting until 28 February 1978	3 August 1977	28 February 1988	10 years, 209 days	DIKO	1978 1983
3		George Vassiliou (born 1931)	28 February 1988	28 February 1993	5 years	Independent	1988
4		Glafcos Clerides (1919–2013)	28 February 1993	28 February 2003	10 years	DISY	1993 1998
5		Tassos Papadopoulos (1934–2008)	28 February 2003	28 February 2008	5 years	DIKO	2003
6		Demetris Christofias (1946–2019)	28 February 2008	28 February 2013	5 years	AKEL	2008
7		Nicos Anastasiades (born 1946)	28 February 2013	28 February 2023	10 years	DISY	2013 2018
8		Nikos Christodoulides (born 1973)	28 February 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 158 days	Independent	2023

Presidential Timeline

This timeline shows when each President served and which political party they were associated with.

Recent Elections

2023 Cypriot presidential election

More About Cyprus's Government

• List of colonial governors and administrators of British Cyprus
• Politics of Cyprus
• List of Cypriot governments

Facts About Presidents

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Chipre para niños