Apostolos Kouroupakis
In the budget of the Deputy Ministry of Culture for the international cultural program of Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2026, there appears a not-at-all-insignificant sum: €2.4 million. That’s a lot of money and I hope it’s spent well. And by that I don’t simply mean it shouldn’t be pocketed; I mean it shouldn’t be squandered on all sorts of disconnected or perhaps overly grandiose events, whether on or off the island.
It’s a good opportunity for that €2.4 million to make genuine cultural sense, to leave a clear imprint on the country’s cultural landscape even after the Presidency is over.
In short, those responsible for the cultural program should remember that they’ve undertaken a significant task: to showcase the nation’s culture, both old and new. To demonstrate that Cyprus indeed produces cultural work that breathes the air of this place. work that engages with the island’s multicultural character without surrendering its distinct identity.
At the same time, alongside what will be organized for the delight of the Europeans coming and going during that six-month period, the organizers should consider how these events can later be shared with the broader public. Exhibitions and concerts should open up to everyone and all activities should be made public so that we all know where and how that €2.4 million was spent. Which events took place abroad, which at home; which artists took part; who sat on the committees and the rest.
“The cultural program to be organized by the Deputy Ministry of Culture in view of Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026 will be a very rich one,” the Deputy Minister of Culture told CNA. Let’s hope it’s rich in every sense (in action, in ideas, in vision) because, after all, we’re talking about €2.4 million.
For the time being, though, we know very little, almost nothing officially, about the procedures or the people involved. Still, as Ms. Kassianidou noted in an interview with Kathimerini, “Every program or artistic activity, whether it concerns the ‘Kypria’ Festival or events included in the cultural program of the 2026 EU Presidency, is implemented according to approved regulations, evaluation criteria, and committees made up of individuals with the relevant qualifications and experience.”
Let’s hope that in the coming weeks we learn more, both about the initiatives and the people, because that six-month term is fast approaching.
