Press Briefing: 2024 European Elections

On February 13th, Europe Direct Ledra Palace Area organized a press briefing about the European Elections at the Home for Cooperation. The speakers were Mrs. Thea Pieridou, Press Officer from the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, and Mr. Athanasios Athanasiou, Press Officer from the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus. 

Journalists from both the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities attended, with live translations provided. Mrs. Pieridou’s presentation covered information about the European Parliament, the upcoming elections, as well as useful website links related to the topic. She emphasized the importance of voter registration and encouraged the promotion of the official European election’s website through media channels. 

Following Mrs. Pieridou’s presentation, Mr. Athanasiou addressed the audience. The floor was then opened for questions from the journalists. One question asked was about efforts to encourage young people to vote. The representatives explained their collaboration with NGOs and civil societies, conducting presentations at schools and universities, and utilizing television, the primary media platform in Cyprus, to reach young voters. Another question raised concerns about certain websites lacking information in Turkish for Turkish Cypriots. Mrs. Pieridou assured that Turkish translations were underway to address this issue.  

The press briefing served as an important platform for dialogue and engagement between representatives of the European institutions and the diverse communities of Cyprus. The commitment to addressing concerns such as voter engagement and language accessibility highlights the collaborative efforts towards active citizenship and participation in the European democratic process.