Newsroom
Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos didn’t mince words when he met with reporters last night, expressing deep disappointment over what he called a lack of real government support for the capital.
“The state,” he said, “threw Nicosia out of the Colosseum and left it to be devoured by lions.”
According to Kathimerini's Dorita Yiannakou, the fiery comment summed up what local officials describe as growing frustration with how the central government treats Nicosia under its current policy and funding framework.
Prountzos said the municipality has been forced to make unpopular decisions, including tax increases, to stay afloat. Still, he noted that those measures have paid off, cutting the city’s deficit by about 80% in recent months.
Despite the financial hurdles, Nicosia has had its share of wins. The city recently earned the European Cultural Heritage Award / Europa Nostra 2025 for its Agora restoration and reuse project. It’s also among the three finalists for the European Capital of Innovation Award, a competition for cities with populations over 250,000.
Meanwhile, tensions are also rising across Cyprus’s local governments. The Union of Cyprus Municipalities has called a meeting for Monday, October 27, to evaluate the government’s progress...or lack thereof...on promised local government reforms and funding.
In a letter sent to President Nikos Christodoulides, the Union warned that the state’s delays and vague commitments are undermining trust between municipalities and the central government.
The letter, signed by Union President Andreas Vyras, cited several unresolved financial issues, including:
- Compensation for 60% of lost revenue from development licensing.
- Funding for road maintenance under Public Works.
- Development funds for newly formed municipalities.
- Clarification on the 40% payroll cost calculation previously agreed upon.
The Union said the government’s failure to deliver on these commitments has created “reasonable concern” among municipalities and urged the President to intervene personally to ensure the smooth functioning of local authorities.
