From the long-term EU budget to the conflict in the Middle East, what were the defining moments of Cyprus' presidency of the Council of the EU? And as Ireland takes over, what fresh ideas will it bring to the table?
On 1 July 2026, Cyprus will hand over the presidency of the Council of the EU to Ireland.
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For the following six months, Dublin will be at the heart of the EU decision-making process and diplomacy, setting priorities and shaping strategies in Brussels.
But did Cyprus deliver on its ambitions? And what points will Ireland bring to the European agenda?
To answer these and more questions, Euronews' weekly podcast Brussels, My Love? sat down with Irene Kostaki, EU correspondent for the Cyprus News Agency, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Irish MEP for Renew Europe, and Micheal O Conchuir, secretary general from the European Alliance Group at the Committee of the Regions.
The end of Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the EU
Cyprus' presidency coincided with deep international challenges, including a global energy crisis, and important EU developments, such as the end of Viktor Orbán’s rule in Hungary and the signature of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
In what was anything but a calm environment, O Conchuir believes Cyprus has done an excellent job: “The lesson I would take for the Irish presidency is to be prepared for the unexpected”.
Kostaki stressed that even before the start of the war in Iran, Cyprus had invited EU leaders to focus on the Middle East and visit Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
According to her, the instability in the Middle East did not jeopardise Nicosia’s presidency: “Cyprus presidency managed to have the informal summit in April and to also deliver on the priorities that involved the European Union approaching a bit more the Middle East,” Kostaki said.
The start of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU
After years of preparation, Ireland is approaching the start of its six-month presidency. Dublin will have to deliver on the long-term EU budget for 2028–2034, a file passed on to it by Cyprus.
On top of the budget, Ní Mhurchú highlighted that the focus of the Irish presidency will be on security, defence, and values.
“We have a crisis in Europe, and that is the rise of the far right,” Ní Mhurchú told Euronews, suggesting that the Irish presidency will take this phenomenon into consideration.
Ní Mhurchú also highlighted that this Irish presidency will be the first since Irish was officially recognised as an EU language, so this will be put at the forefront of the Irish presidency.
In fact, the presidency’s slogan, “Ní neart go cur le chéile”—translated as “unity with strength”—will reflect this emphasis.