Nicos Anastasiades

Nicos Anastasiades
Νίκος Αναστασιάδης
7th President of Cyprus
Assumed office
28 February 2013
Preceded by Demetris Christofias
President of the Democratic Rally
In office
8 June 1997 – 28 February 2013
Preceded by Yiannakis Matsis
Succeeded by Averof Neofytou
Personal details
Born (1946-09-27) 27 September 1946
Pera Pedi, Cyprus
Political party Centre Union (Before 1976)
Democratic Rally (1976–present)
Spouse(s) Andri Moustakoudes
Children 2
Alma mater University of Athens
University College London

Nicos Anastasiades (Greek: Νίκος Αναστασιάδης [ˈnikos anastasiˈaðis]; born 27 September 1946) is a Greek Cypriot politician who has been President of Cyprus since 2013. Previously, he was the leader of Democratic Rally and a Member of Parliament for Limassol.

Education

Anastasiades is a lawyer by profession, and the founder of law firm "Nicos Chr. Anastasiades & Partners".[1] He graduated in law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and completed postgraduate studies in shipping law at University College London. During his university studies, he was a member of the Centre Coalition based in Athens formed by Georgios Papandreou.[2]

Political career

Anastasiades was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1981 and was leader of his party from 1997 until 2013.[3]

President of Cyprus

Further information: Anastasiades Government
Nicos Anastasiades in Dublin in March 2014

In March 2012, Nicos Anastasiades was nominated as a candidate for the 2013 presidential election, against his rival MEP Eleni Theocharous in a vote among the 1,008 strong executive of the Democratic Rally.[4] Nicos Anastasiades received 673 votes (86.73%) and Theocharous received 103 (13.27%). In the first round of the presidential election on 17 February 2013, Anastasiades won 45% of votes, while Stavros Malas and George Lillikas earned 26.9% and 24.9%, respectively.[5] He won in the second round against Malas with 57.48% of the vote and was sworn in as President on 28 February 2013.

Bank Bail-out

Anastasiades broke campaign promises by agreeing to let the banks confiscate 47.5 percent of bank accounts over 100,000 euros in 2013, in order to acquire a 10-billion euro bailout from international lenders. [6]

Military conscription

José Manuel Barroso (left) and Nicos Anastasiades (right) in January 2013 in Cyprus
Angela Merkel with Nicos Anastasiades in 2013 at the EPP summit in Limassol

During his electoral campaign for the post of Cyprus President in 2013, he announced his commitment to reduce military conscription in Cyprus to 14 months during the first hundred days of his term.[7] During the early months of the Anastasiades administration there was important planning for the reduction of military conscription to 14 months in order to increase the incentive for 18 year olds to serve their conscription and to reduce the financial burden to the Cypriot state. Minister of Defence Fotis Fotiou announced that there would be a final decision on the reduction of military conscription towards late 2013. There was increasing pressure for ending military conscription due to the 2012–13 Cypriot financial crisis.

In early August 2013, Minister of Defence Fotis Fotiou announced the reduction of military service, which was in the electoral manifesto of Anastasiades. He supported that national service will be reduced to 18 months in the first phase and decrease further to 14 months before the end of 2014. On 25 February 2016, it was decided by the cabinet to reduce the military service to 18 months for all conscripts who joined in the summer of 2015, and to reduce the service to 14 months for all those who joined thereafter.[8]

Cyprus problem

Anastasiades supported the Annan Plan for Cyprus, even though a majority (61%) of his party voted it down. Some of his intra-party opposition even called for Anastasiades to step down.[9] Many party cadres were up in arms over Anastasiades' letter to the European Parliament alleging that the government trampled on free speech and human rights during the campaign. The government cited the National Television Council's data that showed that the six parties supporting the "No" vote got as much air time as the two that supported the UN plan.[10] The start of peace negotiations between Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart began in October 2013, attracting the interest of international media and world leaders including Barack Obama.[11]

Personal life

He married Andri Moustakoudi in 1971 and they have two daughters.[2] He has a twin brother and a sister.[12]

Distinctions

Nicos Anastasiades speech in Bucharest in October 2012

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Anastasiades & Partners". Cyprus Law. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Index". Anastasiades. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Nicos Anastasiades". Economist Conferences, CEMEA. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Disy picks Nicos, Nicos Anastasiades, Disy, Eleni Theocharous". ISG. 19 March 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Nicos Anastasiades winner of first round of elections in Cyprus". Nasdaq. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  6. ↑ The National Herald http://www.thenationalherald.com/128999/bailed-out-cyprus-banks-feel-good-depositors-dont/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Δέσμευση Αναστασιάδη για μείωση της στρατιωτικής θητείας μειωση, στρατιωτες, δεσμευση, θητειας". Axortagos. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Government cuts army service". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ George Gilson (30 April 2004). "'No' shakes Cyprus party politics". Athens News. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "Great opportunity to resolve Cyprus problem: Obama". Cyprus Mail. August 9, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus - Curriculum Vitae".
  13. 1 2 "Anastasiades Chr. Nicos". Parliament. Retrieved 25 February 2013.

Media related to Nicos Anastasiades at Wikimedia Commons

Party political offices
Preceded by
Yiannakis Matsis		 Leader of the Democratic Rally
1997–2013 		Succeeded by
Averof Neofytou
Political offices
Preceded by
Demetris Christofias		 President of Cyprus
2013–present 		Incumbent
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