Cyprus’ Parliament must take the lead in rebuilding the relationship between citizens and democracy, House President Annita Demetriou said on Friday, addressing the Cyprus Forum 2025. Addressing the same event, the French Ambassador highlighted aspects of participatory democracy in her country, while Cyprus’ Education Minister and a European Commission official underlined the need to strengthen active citizenship and democratic reflexes through education.
In a keynote speech, Demetriou pointed out the need to strengthen parliamentary institutions and democratic governance in Cyprus through transparency, accountability and citizen participation, principles she described as defining the quality of democracy.
‘Parliament is not merely the legislative authority of the state, but the guardian of democratic function, the place where arguments clash and solutions are sought for the benefit of the people,’ Demetriou said. She acknowledged, however, that public trust in institutions has been tested in recent years, a challenge that demands more openness and stronger mechanisms of accountability.
Demetriou highlighted reforms already under way, including the live broadcast of plenary sessions, with plans to extend coverage to parliamentary committees once regulations are amended. She also pointed to the introduction of a new asset-declaration system for MPs under stricter scrutiny, open access to legislative work, and the use of digital tools and social media to keep citizens informed.
The President of the House also stressed Parliament’s role in overseeing the executive, clarifying that such scrutiny ‘is not personal but purely political.’ She argued that democracy is not static, and that laws require constant review to address weaknesses and gaps, with citizen input considered essential.
Demetriou issued an open invitation for dialogue, underlining that some of the most creative proposals come from young people.
Ambassador points out Frances’ tools against ‘democratic fatigue’
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French Ambassador to Cyprus Clélia Sebrier Kolaczkow highlighted her country’s use of participatory democracy to bridge what she described as a growing ‘democratic fatigue.’
Speaking at a panel discussion, Chevrier Kolacko acknowledged growing mistrust between citizens and the state, reflected in voter abstention, resistance to reforms, and mass demonstrations. ‘There is a feeling that citizens are not heard and that democratic government is failing to deliver,’ she said.
To address this gap, she added, France has pioneered new tools. One is the Citizens’ Assembly, first launched after the ‘Yellow Vests’ protests. The flagship Climate Convention in 2019 gathered 150 randomly selected citizens representing France’s diversity. Over months of debate and expert consultation, participants produced 149 recommendations, more than 60% of which have since been integrated into national policy. A similar model was later used to address end-of-life legislation, leading to new bills.
The Ambassador said that these assemblies legitimize public decisions and ensure debates are not confined to politicians alone.
Another mechanism is the participatory budget, under which municipalities dedicate part of their investment funds to citizen-proposed projects. In Paris, she said, five percent of the city’s investment budget – worth millions of euros – is reserved for such initiatives, ranging from environmental projects to mobility and education.
Finally, she said that France has advanced open democracy by giving citizens access to public databases.
‘These tools strengthen transparency, encourage engagement, and help rebuild trust,’ Chevrier Kolacko said.
Cyprus Education Minister speaks on early citizenship and teacher reform
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The importance of instilling active citizenship from the earliest stages of education was stressed by Cyprus’s Minister of Education, Athena Michaelidou, during her intervention at the Cyprus Forum. She noted that citizenship is a fundamental priority embedded across school curricula, with particular focus on civic education and life skills.
‘We cannot speak about life skills if we don’t start cultivating them early, from preschool,’ Michaelidou said, stressing that children should grow up aware of their rights and familiar with values such as justice, freedom, and free expression.
The Minister noted that the effort goes beyond theory and is already being applied in practice with the key contribution of teachers. Training programs for educators on citizenship issues have begun, alongside workshops with experts for both students and staff. She also recalled that, with parliament’s decision to lower the voting age, the need to nurture democratic awareness throughout schooling has become more urgent.
Michaelidou also addressed the government’s plan to improve the quality of education through a new teacher evaluation framework. She clarified that this is not a punitive mechanism, but a professional development tool designed to provide teachers with growth opportunities and pathways for advancement beyond traditional administrative roles. ‘Our goal is to inspire teachers and create the right climate in schools so that learning outcomes improve,’ she said, calling on political parties to examine the reform proposal with consensus in mind.
EU must boost education and skills to safeguard democracy, says senior Commission Official
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The European Union must invest more in education and basic skills to safeguard democracy, empower young people, and enhance competitiveness, the European Commission’s Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, said speaking at the same panel discussion.
Warning that democracy in Europe is ‘under pressure’ from disinformation, election interference, and rising social tensions, Hansen argued that the response must begin in schools. ‘The EU’s future lies with young people, not just as voters, but as active citizens. The fight for European democracy indeed starts, therefore, in our schools, and even earlier, in early childhood education. It is in our classrooms and on our playgrounds that this battle will be won,’ she said.
She presented the Commission’s Union of Skills strategy, which prioritizes five core areas: literacy, numeracy, science knowledge, digital literacy, and citizenship skills.
She also said that a key concern is the teaching profession itself. With one-quarter of EU teachers over 55 and set to retire within a decade, Hansen warned of a looming shortage. To address this, the Commission will present a Teachers and Trainers Agenda in 2026, aimed at strengthening professional development and making the career more attractive.
Hansen praised Cyprus for its education reforms, particularly teacher evaluation measures under its National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and welcomed its decision to host an informal EU ministerial meeting on education in January 2026. She also called for strong participation in the upcoming European Education and Skills Summit in November.
Concluding, Hansen emphasized that Cyprus’ upcoming EU Presidency offers a chance to advance negotiations on the next Erasmus+ program and put skills at the heart of Europe’s agenda.