On 1 January 2026, Cyprus will succeed Denmark in holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Faced with the continuous threat of democratic backsliding across Europe and a tumultuous relationship with the United States (US), the European Union (EU) will be confronted with a number of serious challenges in the first semester of next year. One key challenge will be the negotiations for the Multiannual Financial Framework, which will determine the EU’s budget for the next seven years and shape the Union’s direction in terms of competitiveness, strategic autonomy, the green transition and the EU’s socio-economic model. This debate will also be heavily influenced by geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its foreign interference in the Eastern neighbourhood, the Turkish occupation of the northern part of Cyprus, as well as instability and warfare in the greater Middle East.
In an age filled with uncertainties, the EU’s path towards strategic resilience and preparedness needs to be strengthened and adapted, and the Cypriot presidency comes at a crucial time to guide Europe through this delicate moment.
To discuss the aims and priorities of the incoming Cypriot presidency, as well as the EU’s most challenging policy areas, the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs, and the Department of Politics and Governance of the University of Nicosia co-organised “Reshaping Europe in an age of uncertainty”, the Cypriot Pre-Presidency Conference (PPC).
The Cypriot PPC took place on 30-31 October in Nicosia and featured exchanges between researchers from the TEPSA Network, policy-makers from Cyprus and beyond, and members of the public, including civil society representatives and journalists.
The Cypriot PPC has been an opportunity to assess how internal and external challenges are affecting the future of the EU and the role of the presidency in reshaping Europe’s future.
Our conference focused on a number of interrelated topics, spanning from enlargement to the green transition, geopolitical tensions, Europe’s socioeconomic paradigm, and, in the context of a panel supported by the Horizon-Europe ActEU project, the role of European citizens in today’s democracies.
On the occasion of the Cypriot Pre-Presidency Conference, TEPSA also presented the recommendations to the incoming presidency. These recommendations form part of a long history of interaction between TEPSA and the Council presidencies, starting with the first Pre-Presidency Conference. The recommendations from members of the TEPSA network to the incoming Cypriot Presidency are available here. You can watch the relevant session of the PPC below.
This Pre-Presidency Conference was co-organised by TEPSA, the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs, and the Department of Politics and Governance of the University of Nicosia. The conference was additionally supported by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), the Cyprus Forum, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus.
Additional support to specific parts of the agenda was provided by the Horizon Europe project “Activating European Citizens’ Trust in Times of Crises and Polarization (ActEU)”.
