1. Nicos Anastasiades is a Cypriot politician and businessperson, who served as the seventh president of Cyprus from 2013 to 2023.
45 Facts About Nicos Anastasiades
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Nicos Anastasiades responded by negotiating a bail-out agreement with the Troika group, consisting of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.
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Nicos Anastasiades signed several agreements to promote closer economic and financial ties with Moscow, turning Cyprus into a vehicle for Russian oligarchs to register their assets there and avoid international sanctions implemented since 2014.
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Nicos Anastasiades was mentioned in the Panama Papers, Troika Laundromat, and Cyprus Papers leaks.
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Nicos Anastasiades was born in the village of Pera Pedi on 27 September 1946 to a Greek Cypriot family.
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Nicos Anastasiades graduated in law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and completed postgraduate studies in shipping law at the University of London.
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The law firm has denied any wrongdoing and Nicos Anastasiades has said that he has had no active involvement in the firm since 1997.
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Nicos Anastasiades was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1981 with the Democratic Rally and remained an MP until 2013, when he resigned in order to assume his duties as President of Cyprus.
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Nicos Anastasiades was the leader of his party from 1997 to 2013.
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In March 2012, Nicos Anastasiades was nominated as a candidate for the 2013 presidential election, against his rival MEP Eleni Theocharous in a vote among the 1,008 strong executive of the Democratic Rally.
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Nicos Anastasiades received 673 votes and Theocharous received 103.
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Nicos Anastasiades later came to comment that Cyprus was treated as a guinea pig with extreme measures never applied before, but despite his counter-proposals they were all blatantly rejected during the Eurogroup meeting.
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President Nicos Anastasiades played a pivotal role in managing the aftermath, expressing regret over the airline's closure and taking steps to address the concerns of the 560 dismissed employees.
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Nicos Anastasiades pledged full compensation, acknowledged the government's financial contribution to provident funds, and assured support for the establishment of a new airline.
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In July 2016, Nicos Anastasiades's government announced that Charlie Airlines Ltd, a Cypriot start-up and subsidiary of Russia's S7 airline, emerged as the winning bidder to use the Cyprus Airways brand for ten years.
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Nicos Anastasiades faced criticism over his involvement in the closure of the Cyprus Cooperative Bank.
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President Nicos Anastasiades faced criticism for retaining Georgiades, impeding decisive action, and the blame-passing narrative extended to Co-op's General Director, Nicholas Hadjiyiannis.
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President Nicos Anastasiades took a significant step in Cyprus by introducing a minimum wage, a provision that was absent before.
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Nikos Nicos Anastasiades, having received the completed proposal from Labor Minister Kyriakos Kousios, witnessed a crucial meeting on 31 August 2022.
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Nicos Anastasiades pledged to implement the Structural Reforms demanded by the European Commission in order to obtain economic aid and cut social benefits, pensions and wages in the public and private sectors, while increasing VAT and fuel taxes.
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Nicos Anastasiades decided to reduce the number of civil servants.
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Nicos Anastasiades supported that national service will be reduced to 18 months in the first phase and decrease further to 14 months before the end of 2014.
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Nicos Anastasiades supported the Annan Plan for the reunification of Cyprus, even though a majority of his party voted it down.
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Nicos Anastasiades faced criticism for his decision to interrupt the conference and return to Cyprus for further consultations, especially with the Greek government.
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The absence of these minutes became a point of contention, with Nicos Anastasiades asserting that without them, the Guterres framework could not be included in the terms of reference for future negotiations.
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At a ceremony in Jerusalem, Nicos Anastasiades received the Presidential Medal of Honor from former Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
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Nicos Anastasiades accepted an invitation to attend the 70th anniversary of Victory Day in World War II in Moscow on 9 May 2015.
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Nicos Anastasiades believed that Russia's intervention could play a crucial role in resolving the long-standing Cyprus issue, especially considering the positive relations between Russia and Turkey.
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Nicos Anastasiades condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, expressing disappointment and emphasising Cyprus's opposition to actions violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent country.
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Nicos Anastasiades reaffirmed Cyprus's solidarity with Ukraine, drawing parallels with Cyprus's own history of invasion and occupation by Turkey.
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The leaked 3.6 million documents implicate six billionaires, including Roman Abramovich, while former President Nikos Nicos Anastasiades is depicted as supporting Russian interests amid international sanctions, prompting inquiries into alleged money laundering activities.
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On 3 January 2018, Nicos Anastasiades undertook the first official visit of a Cypriot President to Saudi Arabia, following an invitation from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
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Nicos Anastasiades' government implemented a second full-scale lockdown on 10 January 2021, after the failure of the previous measures to combat the surge in COVID-19 infections.
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Nicos Anastasiades' government implemented a new two-week partial lockdown from 26 April to 9 May 2021, coinciding with the Orthodox Easter holidays, as the country grappled with a third wave of COVID-19 cases, primarily fuelled by a new, more contagious British variant.
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On 13 March 2020, Nikos Nicos Anastasiades addressed the nation, revealing his move to combat the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
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Nicos Anastasiades announced a 15-day border closure, effective from 15 March 2020, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the coronavirus.
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Nicos Anastasiades' government introduced a policy offering reimbursement of travel costs for visitors testing positive for COVID-19 after their arrival.
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On 1 June 2022, the government of Nicos Anastasiades lifted all Covid-related measures and travel restrictions at the Republic's ports and airports.
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Nicos Anastasiades Anastassiades requested a supplementary amount of vaccines from Israel.
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On 1 August 2021, the Nicos Anastasiades government concluded the provision of free rapid tests for unvaccinated individuals, with some exceptions.
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On 27 March 2020, amid concerns about overcrowding in Nicosia prison that could lead to an increased viral spread, Anastasiades announced the release of 50 prisoners.
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Nicos Anastasiades was granted the passport despite the fact that a background check on him raised several red flags because of his status as a politically exposed person, as well as his alleged fraud and regulatory breaches.
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Once he became president, Nicos Anastasiades entered into agreements with Russia, led by President Putin, to promote closer economic and financial ties between Russia and Cyprus.
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In 2024, his third publication, "Mafia State," instigated a criminal investigation against Nicos Anastasiades, prompting the involvement of international legal practitioner Gabrielle Louise McIntyre.
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Nicos Anastasiades's daughters are listed as owners of a law firm that Anastasiades founded.