Young people take cabinet roles to present policy proposals to Christodoulides

Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides led a special meeting modelled on cabinet proceedings at the presidential palace on Monday, with participants aged 17 to 35 occupying ministerial and deputy ministerial seats. The initiative gave young people an opportunity to influence government policy through recommendations for their assigned portfolios.

Proposals and participation

Christodoulides promised that the participants’ suggestions would receive consideration and be put into practice where possible. In welcoming them, he said their involvement should have practical significance rather than serve as a symbolic exercise.

He urged participants to express themselves openly, question government policies and offer specific proposals addressing concerns relevant to their generation. Criticism and differing views, he explained, were normal features of cabinet decision-making.

The president said the government regarded participatory democracy as fundamental to policy development, especially since younger generations would experience the lasting effects of decisions made now.

How cabinet decisions are made

Explaining the responsibilities of ministers, Christodoulides said they shared accountability for government decisions instead of focusing only on the portfolios they held. He noted that proposals involving financial consequences required assessment before cabinet consideration.

He also emphasised transparency and the need to prevent conflicts of interest. Ministers, he explained, were required to disclose personal or family links to subjects being discussed.

Differences of opinion among ministers were not unusual, he said, adding that cabinet sessions provided an opportunity for meaningful debate, not merely the approval of proposals.

Electoral changes and digital platforms

Christodoulides cited measures to strengthen youth participation, including reducing the minimum age for election candidacy to 21 and establishing automatic registration for voters from age 17.

He said automatic registration had initially been planned for parliamentary elections. Following a decision by parliament, however, it would first apply to the presidential election in 2028.

The president also highlighted EkfraCy and Voice of the Citizen as digital platforms through which young people could share opinions and submit ideas.