Apostolos Kouroupakis
Culture may get polite mentions and modest funding, but under President Nikos Christodoulides it lacks something far more important: a clear vision. Beyond vague promises and small-scale digital upgrades, no major cultural projects or long-term strategy are in sight.
Based on the two State of the Union addresses delivered by the President of the Republic and what they include on culture, there is little to comment on. In both speeches, culture was allotted almost exactly 100 words, out of a total of around 8,000.
Those 100 words were carefully chosen. The announcements were so general, “re-targeting,” “modernization,” and “digital upgrading,'' that it was virtually impossible for at least some of them not to be fulfilled.
In the 2024 State of the Union, the paragraph on culture stated the following:
“In the field of culture, within the year and in response to the needs of the artistic community, we are submitting a bill to establish a legal framework regulating the status and professional identity of the artist, addressing a long-standing distortion. At the same time, through re-targeting and modernization of grant schemes, we support all aspects of cultural creation, as well as the digital upgrade of cultural spaces.”
The result:
The bill was submitted on January 3, 2025. The accompanying announcement stated that the Council of Ministers had approved the draft law titled “The Law on the Establishment of an Artists’ Registry and Artistic Sponsorship (2025),” prepared by the Law Commissioner in close cooperation with the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Finance, and the Social Insurance Services.
The bill was legally vetted by the Legal Service and approved for submission to the House of Representatives.
One could say the presidency did its part. However, the process stalled during discussions at the House Education Committee. Issues arose, and the bill was almost unanimously rejected by cultural organizations. As things stand, it is likely to be revisited in any meaningful way only after the parliamentary elections of May 2026.
As for the digital upgrade of cultural spaces, this took longer. For that reason, the commitment was repeated in the 2025 State of the Union:
“Special incentives to highlight culture as a significant economic activity, combining outward-looking approaches and innovation. A support scheme for the technological and digital upgrading of cultural organizations, enhancing visitor experience through modern technology applications in archaeological sites and museums.”
Indeed, in early September 2025, the Deputy Ministry of Culture launched the Support Scheme for the Technological and Digital Upgrading of Cultural Organizations. The program will be implemented by the Department of Contemporary Culture from 2025 to 2027, with the possibility of extension, and is funded entirely by national resources. The total budget for 2025 amounts to €300,000.
So here too, one could argue that the President was consistent: he spoke about digital upgrading, and funding was eventually provided.
But is all this enough to say that a clear cultural policy is being shaped by the government of Nikos Christodoulides?
Are efforts being made by the Deputy Ministry of Culture? Yes.
Are they sufficient to suggest a clear vision or a serious, holistic cultural policy from the president? No.
Very carefully, President Christodoulides avoids announcing major cultural projects, knowing how unlikely they are to materialize in the near future. What he does instead, and it seems to serve its purpose, is to promise in broad and vague terms.
For example, perhaps still new to the role, he said in April 2023 at the THOK Awards that we would often see him applauding the organization’s performances so that “together we can build Cyprus’ long-term cultural strategy.”
In 2024, again at THOK and at the same ceremony, he repeated almost verbatim the paragraph from the State of the Union:
“More broadly, we are re-targeting and modernizing grant schemes covering all aspects of cultural creation in our country, while also promoting the digital upgrading of cultural spaces.”
To date, President Christodoulides has not inaugurated, or even laid the foundation stone for, a single major cultural project. This stands in contrast to his predecessor, Nicos Anastasiades, who laid the foundation stone for the new Cyprus Museum. If all goes according to plan, the museum is expected to open in 2029, and it is quite possible that Christodoulides will be the one to cut the ribbon during his first term.
However, no major cultural infrastructure projects are expected for the remainder of his presidency: no Cyprus National Library, no Museum of Contemporary Art, and no modern Concert Hall, a project few even talk about anymore.
Such large-scale projects move forward only when there is clear political will and sustained pressure from the top, from the president himself. This was the case with Anastasiades, who pushed to at least lay the foundation stone of the Cyprus Museum, something he achieved in January 2023, shortly before handing over the presidency to his minister.
President Christodoulides may well end up cutting a ribbon too, perhaps at the renovated local archaeological museum of Kourion, just as his predecessor did with the refurbished museums of Larnaca (January 2023) and Paphos (October 2022).
Looking ahead to 2026, at least in the first half of the year, we are likely to see announcements related to Cyprus’ bid for European Capital of Culture. Possibly also announcements concerning a strategic plan for the development of the Cyprus Library, the inclusion of the State Archives under the Deputy Ministry of Culture, and, why not, a new digital era for culture.
