President Nikos Christodoulides’ decision not to renew Irene Loizidou Nikolaidou’s term as Commissioner for Personal Data Protection has dealt a blow to Cyprus’ interests. The move costs the country the vice-presidency of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in Brussels and with it, a valuable chance to contend for the institution’s presidency in 2028.
EDPB
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) is an independent EU body established in 2018. It ensures that general regulations and directives on data protection are consistently applied across member states. It also advises the European Commission on data protection issues and encourages national data protection authorities to cooperate, exchange information, and share best practices.
Nikolaidou currently holds the position of Vice-President of the EDPB and had very strong prospects of being elected President in 2028. She was elected Vice-President in May 2023, giving a small member state like Cyprus the chance to serve in an EU institution from an elected position. In this role, she presided over plenary sessions and international forums, gaining valuable expertise which she brought back to Cyprus.
High-Level Meeting
In her capacity as Vice-President, she also initiated the hosting of a High-Level Meeting of Data Protection Commissioners from other EU member states in Cyprus. Consultations with the EDPB presidency had already taken place, and even the date had been set: January 21. Invitations to European Data Protection Commissioners were to be sent after the renewal of Mrs. Nikolaidou’s term.
The non-renewal of her mandate has also forced the cancellation of the planned High-Level Meeting in Cyprus. A fresh election will now be held for the EDPB Vice-Presidency, since the position was tied to Nikolaidou personally and not to the country. The role does not automatically pass to her successor. It is also worth noting that European institutions rarely convene outside Brussels, only when a member state holds the EU presidency or for exceptional High-Level Meetings. Hosting such a gathering would therefore have been a rare and significant boost to Cyprus’ international profile.
Schengen Zone
Nikolaidou also played a key role in the process of Cyprus joining the Schengen Zone. The process began after her office successfully passed the European Commission’s evaluation in 2019. Had the Commissioner’s office, as Supervisory Authority, failed that evaluation, Cyprus would not today be in a position to pursue Schengen accession.
2028
All these important factors were disregarded by the President and the Cabinet when they decided to appoint Maria Manoli Christofidou, District Secretary of DISY’s women’s organization (GODISY), as Commissioner for Personal Data Protection for the next six-year term (2025–2031).
Instead of renewing Nikolaidou’s mandate, she was entitled to another six-year term and had strong prospects of securing the EDPB presidencythe President opted for a controversial strategy aimed at intervening in DISY in order to broaden his influence within the party’s base, with an eye on his re-election bid in 2028. In doing so, he also broke a key election pledge, namely that “we will ensure sufficient and qualified representation of the Republic of Cyprus in all institutional bodies in Brussels.”