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Parliament Endorses Cyprus Academy Budget, Setting Stage For Strategic Growth

Balanced Budget Backing A Government Initiative

The Parliamentary Plenary approved a balanced budget of €570,000 for the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026. The budget will be fully financed through a government grant, which remains the academy’s only source of revenue.

Focused Allocation For Administration And Development

The approved framework allocates €566,500 to administrative expenses and €3,500 to development activities. The slight increase compared to the previous year reflects the addition of three administrative positions. Academy President Achilleus Aimiliandis said the higher level of state funding allows the institution to strengthen staffing capacity and improve day-to-day operations while supporting its longer-term objectives.

Inter-Ministerial Review And Required Amendments

The budget was submitted by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth to the Ministry of Finance in September 2025 for review. Following an assessment by the Public Administration and Personnel Department, several amendments were requested before the proposal proceeded to the Council of Ministers, reflecting standard oversight procedures applied to public-sector budgeting.

Building Renovation Plans Deferred

The approved budget does not include funding for the renovation of the property granted to the academy by the Holy Metropolis of Cyprus and Tillyria. A previous feasibility study estimated renovation costs at around €1.3 million plus VAT, with completion expected to take approximately two years. The project remains outside the scope of the current fiscal plan.

Cyprus’ Poverty And Social Exclusion Risk Stands At 17.1%

Cyprus recorded a poverty or social exclusion risk rate of 17.1% in 2025, below the European Union average of 20.9%, according to new Eurostat figures. Across the bloc, however, more than 92 million people continued to face the risk, highlighting persistent social and economic inequalities.

More Than 92 Million People At Risk Across The EU

A total of 92.7 million people across the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, equivalent to just over one in five residents.

Cyprus is treated as a single statistical region because of its size, unlike many member states divided into multiple regions for comparison. Its national figure therefore provides an overall picture but does not capture differences between districts or communities.

Regional Gaps Remain Stark Across Europe

The risk varied considerably across the EU, with the highest rates concentrated largely in southern, eastern and outermost regions. In 24 of the 243 regions with available data, at least 31.5% of the population faced poverty or social exclusion.

These regions were located in Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, France and Romania, as well as Brussels in Belgium and Bremen in north-western Germany.

French Guiana recorded the highest rate, at 54.8%, followed by Calabria in southern Italy at 45.3% and Sicily at 44%. Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city, recorded 43.7%, while Réunion, another French outermost region, stood at 42.3%.

Central Europe Records The Lowest Rates

At the other end of the scale, 24 regions reported poverty or social exclusion risk rates below 13% in 2025. These included five eastern EU capital regions: Bratislava in Slovakia, Warsaw in Poland, Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary and Zagreb in Croatia.

Other regions with low rates were concentrated in northern Italy, the Czech Republic, northern Belgium, Hungary, Poland and Austria, illustrating the uneven distribution of economic security across Europe.

Cyprus Remains Below The EU Average

Cyprus’ rate of 17.1% places it below the EU average, although it remains higher than the levels recorded in the bloc’s lowest-risk regions.

The figures suggest that Cyprus performs relatively well compared with the wider EU, but poverty and social exclusion remain significant challenges across the bloc, affecting more than 92 million people.

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