Christodoulides: Electricity prices remain government’s top priority

Reducing electricity prices remains the government’s top priority, according to President Nikos Christodoulides, who also said he will decide in 2027 whether to seek a second term, dismissing suggestions that his administration is already operating in campaign mode. In a wide-ranging interview with ANT1 on Monday night, the president also addressed pension reform, energy policy, corruption, the government’s handling of recent crises and his relationship with parliament and the opposition. “If you ask me at this moment what my main concern is, and what I am working on so that we have results as soon as possible, it is the reduction of electricity prices. More broadly, it is energy,” he said. Acknowledging that electricity prices remain high despite government interventions, Christodoulides argued that measures such as the reduction in VAT had already eased the burden on households by increasing disposable income. He insisted that bringing electricity prices down remains doable. “It is an achievable target and we will achieve it,” he said. Christodoulides said the government inherited an energy system that had long neglected investment in conventional generation and storage infrastructure. He noted that renewable energy accounted for around 17 to 18 per cent of Cyprus’ energy mix when his administration took office, compared with approximately 25 to 26 per cent today, although he acknowledged that the figure remained well below where it should be. “We need to exceed 50 per cent,” he said. According to the president, previous governments had licensed renewable energy projects without ensuring adequate storage capacity, leading to many of the grid stability problems experienced today. “This year we are beginning to acquire energy storage systems precisely so we can store energy both for security of supply and for balancing the system,” he said. Turning to social policy, the president announced that work on pension reform had reached an advanced stage, with further meetings planned this week between the labour and finance ministers. He said the reform aims primarily to increase low pensions, with rises of between €250 and €300 depending on the pension category. “I hope that when the bill reaches parliament it will not remain under discussion for six months while Cypriot citizens continue paying the price,” he said. On the 2028 presidential election, Christodoulides declined to confirm whether he will seek re-election. “However much some people believe it, and however much they write about 2028, I have decided that during 2027, always on the basis of the implementation of the government’s work, I will make my decisions,” he said. He explained that his benchmark remains the government’s election programme, describing it as his “social contract with the Cypriot people”, which he said is reviewed daily to measure progress. The president also appealed for parliament not to allow the forthcoming presidential election to undermine cooperation between the executive and legislature. “When the time comes for the presidential election, the Cypriot people will choose. Until then, we must all work together to further improve the everyday lives of citizens,” he said. Christodoulides rejected suggestions that he depends on political parties to govern despite not being a party leader. “I do not need crutches,” he said. “I have always sought cooperation and, through dialogue, I try to achieve the best possible outcome.” Asked whether he feels unfairly targeted by the opposition, Christodoulides said criticism had intensified following the parliamentary elections. “I see that before the parliamentary elections some spoke constantly about the government’s positive achievements. After the elections, I see daily criticism, with seven, eight, nine or ten announcements saying everything is going wrong.” “But that is democracy. I do not complain about it. I tolerate it.” Responding to accusations that Cyprus is failing to tackle corruption, Christodoulides argued that no government seeking to protect corruption would have strengthened the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority. He added that politicising corruption undermined efforts to address the issue effectively. The president also defended the government’s handling of major crises, pointing to last year’s devastating wildfires and the more recent drone attack at the British Base of Akrotiri. He described the deaths of two people during last year’s wildfire as the most tragic aspect of the disaster. “There is no justification for the loss of those two fellow citizens,” he said. However, he argued that important lessons had since been learned and that civil protection systems had improved significantly, including reforms to early warning mechanisms and emergency response structures. Christodoulides also cited the government’s response to the drone attack as evidence of improved crisis management. “The biggest crisis we had to face as a government was when the drone fell in the British Bases,” he said, arguing that the international and European response reflected the effectiveness of the government’s handling of the situation. He concluded by insisting that despite increasing political pressure as the next presidential election approaches, his focus remains firmly on delivering the government’s programme rather than campaigning for another term.