Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
European Council President António Costa is taking Brussels on tour, not for ceremony, but to hear directly from national leaders before the EU makes some of its biggest decisions in years.
Costa has begun his annual 'Tour des Capitales', a series of bilateral meetings across all 27 member states. He is expected to visit Cyprus on Sept. 4 for talks with President Nikos Christodoulides.
In an opinion piece published Tuesday, Costa said the visits allow him to hear each country’s concerns and ensure decisions made by the European Council reflect the realities facing citizens across Europe.
Defense, the war in Ukraine, EU enlargement, economic competitiveness, and affordable energy will all be discussed. But the most urgent item is the EU’s next seven-year budget, covering 2028 to 2034.
Costa wants leaders to reach an agreement by the end of 2026. Otherwise, he warned, delays in preparing the necessary laws and systems could interrupt European funding for farmers, businesses, students, researchers, and innovators.
Why it matters to Cyprus
For Cyprus, the EU budget is not a distant Brussels accounting exercise. European money helps fund agriculture, infrastructure, education, research, digital projects, and the green transition.
The negotiations will determine how much money remains available for those areas and how much is redirected toward Europe’s growing defense and security needs.
Christodoulides will therefore have an opportunity to argue for Cyprus’ priorities, including support for farmers and less-developed regions, energy security, migration, and recognition of the particular security concerns of an EU member state that remains divided.
Costa’s tour is ultimately an effort to find common ground among 27 governments that all want Europe to do more but do not necessarily agree on who should pay for it.
For the average Cypriot, the outcome could eventually be felt in everything from farm subsidies and student programs to energy projects, jobs, and the island’s security. In other words, the conversation may take place behind closed doors, but the bill, and the benefits, will not.
