The European Commission designated Executive Vice-President Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto yesterday as the EU’s Special Representative for Cyprus.
Fitto, an Italian national, will retain his position as Vice-President responsible for cohesion and reforms, including oversight of the standalone Cyprus Settlement Support Unit (CCSU) – responsible for providing technical and policy support to UN-led efforts for a Cyprus settlement. The CCSU covers the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community and the Green Line framework.
According to a Commission statement, the Special Representative will contribute to the settlement process within the United Nations framework, in close cooperation with the UN Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín.
“This designation reflects the Commission's strong commitment to the reunification of Cyprus, with the aim of achieving a functional and viable comprehensive settlement in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles, values and legislation of the European Union,” said the Commission.
Fitto will bring “his long-standing experience in European governance, regional cooperation and institutional dialogue” to the Commission's efforts to facilitate progress towards a comprehensive Cyprus settlement, added the Commission.
Replacing Hahn
Like his predecessor Johannes Hahn, Fitto will be expected to engage with all relevant stakeholders and interlocutors to prepare the ground for the resumption of negotiations and support a comprehensive and lasting solution, including through building trust between all stakeholders and interlocutors.
Former special envoy Hahn resigned in March 2026 after only 10 months in the job, to focus on his new role as President of the General Council at the Austrian National Bank, which he started in January 2026.
Before leaving office, Hahn managed to secure a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman in December 2025, an appointment that had eluded him when Ersin Tatar was in power. However, Ankara at the time had refused to hold direct meetings with him, at least in public.
According to an EU official who spoke with CNA, Fitto’s appointment was a personal choice by the Commission President, marking the difference between his title as special representative and that of Hahn – a special envoy whose appointment required a decision by the College of Commissioners.
Commenting on his appointment, Fitto said he was honoured and remained fully committed to supporting the UN-led process, thanking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her trust and confidence.
Apart from overseeing the Cyprus unit under his portfolio, the Commissioner knows Cyprus up close and personal, having visited the island with the College of Commissioners when Cyprus took over the EU Presidency. Last month, he toured the Pitsillia region, sharing coffee and talking with elderly residents about the challenges of living in mountain communities.
Prior to his role as Executive VP, Fitto was an Italian cabinet minister, serving under Prime Minister Georgia Meloni (2022-2024), and Silvio Berlusconi (2008-2011). He spent many years as a Member of the European Parliament and was co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.
High-level appointment
President Nikos Christodoulides welcomed the appointment, noting that the high-level appointment “demonstrates the EU’s heightened interest and readiness to play a leading and more substantive role in efforts to resume negotiations” within the UN framework, while also lending political weight to the joint effort.
Christodoulides argued that the government’s consistent strategy to get the EU more involved in efforts to resume talks is paying off, generating “new momentum and concrete initiatives”.
He noted that the effort started with a relevant reference to Cyprus in the European Council Conclusions of April 2024, later reinforced by a joint letter of the Presidents of the European Commission and Council to UN chief António Guterres in March 2025.
Von der Leyen and António Costa also discussed Cyprus in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara last week.
The EU and UN appear to be using the prospect of advancing EU-Turkey relations as a parallel track to the peace effort, with progress in one linked to the other.
UN envoy Holguín is due to hold meetings in Brussels these days, where she will likely be briefed on the outcome of the Ankara discussions and possibly meet with the new EU special representative. Who she will meet exactly and when have yet to be confirmed publicly, though both Costa and von der Leyen are currently not in Brussels.
“At a time when the UN Secretary-General’s initiative is underway, the EU is signalling its readiness to make use of the tools at its disposal. Progress in EU-Turkey relations is directly linked to progress on the Cyprus issue and can create meaningful incentives for a mutually beneficial way forward,” said Christodoulides.
The president pledged to make use of “every window of opportunity for meaningful progress, hoping that all parties, and Turkey in particular, will demonstrate the same genuine political will.”
Expecting intensified EU engagement on Cyprus
Fitto’s designation comes at a time when questions remain over whether and when Guterres will convene an enlarged 5+1 meeting with the two leaders and guarantor powers. On Sunday, von der Leyen announced she had a “good call” with Guterres, indicating there would be movement on Cyprus in the coming months.
“We can sense a renewed momentum to solve the Cyprus issue within the UN framework and in line with the principles, values and legislation of the EU. The opportunity should be seized. We look forward to progress over the months to come.”
She noted the Commission’s readiness to support this effort with all the necessary assistance and tools at its disposal, adding that the special representative is being designated “in anticipation of an intensification of our engagement”.
Former DISY leader Averof Neophytou posted on social media yesterday that the latest developments confirm his view that things are heating up on the Cyprus issue. He referred to recent reports by reputable international media on a proposed settlement plan presented by UN envoy Holguín, along with the high-level appointment of Fitto which underscores that “matters are becoming more serious”. This demonstrates “the EU’s determination to engage dynamically” in the peace effort, he said.
The former presidential candidate urged Christodoulides to remain prepared while expressing his support on the path towards a solution. “Opportunities will not be endless, and circumstances do not repeat themselves,” he added.
On Sunday, The Independent reported that the UN has drafted a plan to end the stalemate “with a watered down federal solution close to Turkish demands for two separate states”.
The report essentially outlines a plan previously published by Politis as ‘ideas’ being considered among relevant actors. These include a much looser federation with limited central competences that Greek Cypriots can call a federation and Turkish Cypriots a confederation, a rotating presidential council, no directly elected federal parliament, transitional period, a NATO formula to replace existing guarantees, and possible movement on natural gas exploitation.
