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Cyprus (Kýpros) and

Recent history Both countries are former British . With the dismantling of the British following War II, and Malta were granted independence, in 1960 and 1964 respectively. Cyprus became a , while Malta kept the Queen as Head of State until 1974. Both joined the Commonwealth. Due to their strategically important locations, both countries have a long history of invasion and conflict. Indeed, to this day Cyprus remains separated. Its population is ethnically and geographically divided between the majority Greek speakers in the south and the minority Turkish speakers in the north. Only the Greek-Cypriot part of the has gained EU membership.

Unrest has existed between the two communities since independence. In 1974, invaded Cyprus, claiming that they were defending the Turkish minority population. Turkey occupied the northern third of the island. The Greek- Cypriot government in the south proclaimed itself the island’s legitimate government, and gained international recognition as the Republic of Cyprus. The UN established a separating line between the two parts of the island and, in 1983, Turkish-occupied CyprusHow declared does itself the a TurkishGeneral Republic Election of Northern actually Cyprus (TRNC). work? Although significant attempts were made to broker a peace deal that would allow the reunification of the island in the 1990s and early 2000s, efforts failed. Peace talksThe were UK is resumed a liberal followingdemocracy. the This recent means election that weof Turkish democratically Cypriot Presidentelect politicians, Mustafa who Akinci. represent our interests. It also involves that individual rights are protected.

The type of liberal democracy we have is a constitutional monarchy, where the powers of 100 Cyprus: key facts the monarch are limited by the terms and conditions put down in the constitution. 67 7.7%  Capital  Population 860,000 (2014)

 % of total EU population 0.2%

Parliamentary Official languages system Greek

The UK Year has ofa parliamentary EU accession system of democratic2004 governance. Unlike presidential and

semi -presidentialCurrency systems, there is an interconnectionEuro since 2008 between the legislative (law-

making) Schengen and executive Area member (law-enforcing) branchesNo of government in a parliamentary

system. Seats In the in UK,European this means that the executive6 (consisting of the Queen and the governments of England, Scotland, Wales and ) is accountable to the Current government legislature or Parliament (House of Commons, House of Lords and devolved Assemblies in Malta is a representative parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President, currently Marie Preca who serves Wales and Northern Ireland). a term of five years and who has mainly ceremonial duties. The Prime Minister currently Joseph heads the government. Laws are made by the single chamber (Kamra tar-Rapprezentanti), which has Appointed Prime Minister (or chancellor) as Head of Government and a monarch (or 65 members. Malta has a two-party system. At the last general election in March 2013, the Nationalist Party, which had been in power since 1998,ceremonial was defeated president) by the Labouras Head Party. of State.

Cyprus is a presidential republic. Its 1960 Constitution was designed to balance power between Greek and Turkish-

Cypriots, but since Greek Cyprus has continued to use the same structures. Most executive power is held by the President, while there is a separate 59 member House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosόpon). The current President, , was elected in 2013.

First-Past-The-Post

Malta: key facts Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected using the first - past - the - post electoralCapital system. Each of the 650 votingValletta constituencies in the UK are represented by an MP. Population During the general and most local elec430,000tions, (2014) the candidate with most of the votes

becomes % of the total local EU representative. population Candidates 0.1 %campaign door-to-door, hold debates and

publish manifestos (comparable to shopping list of what they are planning to do once Official languages Maltese and English they areYear in power).of EU accession Eligible voters, about 46m2004 in the UK, receive their polling card once they registerCurrency online, or they can vote by post. since 2008  member Yes, since 2007 Party with most of the votes is invited by the Queen to form a government. If there is no  Seats in 6 clear winner, there is a hung Parliament. In this case, a minority or can be formed. A minority government does not have an overall majority in Parliament. A © CIVITAS Institute for the Study of Civil Society 2015 EU Country Profiles More EU factsheets: http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/index.phpcoalition government means that two or more political parties Author: agree Wil to James, share 05/2006 power in Book EU events: http://wgovernment.ww.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/ If that doesEUevents not.php work out, new elections Last may update: be Lottecalled. van Buuren, 06/2015

Cyprus (Kýpros) and Malta

Unemployment rate Public budget deficit/surplus GDP per capita in PPS (2015) -2 (2013) 16% -3 100 89 86 9.8% -4 EU 5.7% -5 -6 M

-7 C -8

Malta Cyprus EU -9 Cyprus Malta EU 2011 2012 2013 2014

Relations with the EU While most of the attention leading to the expansion of the EU in 2004 focused on the former Communist states of central and eastern , MalteseHow and does Cypriot a accessionGeneral also Electionmarked a significant actually change. work? It was an important step onto the world stage for both Thecountries. UK is a Asliberal the smademocracy.llest member This means of the thatEU with we democraticallya population of elect about politicians, 423,000 people, who Malta gained status by joining the EU, where it nominates an EU Commissioner and elects five MEPs to the European represent our interests. It also involves that individual rights are protected. Parliament. In December 2007, Malta became part of the Schengen , which enables free travel across national borders, and it joinedThe the type of liberal in January democracy 2008. we For have Greek is a Cyprus, constitutional EU membership monarchy, was where an important the powers of recognition of their claim to . In the build-up to Cyprus joining, the EU, along with the UN, played a leading the monarch are limited by the terms and conditions put down in the constitution. role in attempting to reunify the island. They made their offer of membership on the basis that the whole island would join. It was not clear whether Cyprus would be able to join without reunification. However, when this proved impossible following an unsuccessful referendum in 2004, the Greek part of the island joined alone. This prevented the TRNC’s population from the enjoying the benefits of EU membership. Recently, there have been signs of progress: travel restrictions were lifted and,Parliamentary following the systemelection of as Cyprus’ President in February 2008, UN-sponsored talks were heldThe between UK has the a parliamentary Turkish and Greek system leadership of democratic in March governance. 2008. Also, Unlike on 4 presidentialApril 2008, a and famous shopping street that crossessemi-presidential one of the systems,Island’s divided there is cities an int waserconnection reopened forbetween the first the time legislative in 40 years. (law- This on-going situation has important implications for Turkey’s prospects of EU membership. In December 2006, eight making) and executive (law-enforcing) branches of government in a parliamentary of Turkey’s 35 negotiating chapters were suspended when it failed to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships. Greek- Cyprus joined the Eurozone insystem. January In 2008. the UK, Cyprus this wasmeans severely that the affected executive by the (consisting economic of crisis the Queen in and andthe suffered financial difficulties aftergovernments an explosion of England, at a power Scotland, plant knocked Wales and out Northern half of the Ireland) island’s is energyaccountable supply. to Inthe March 2013, Cyprus negotiatedlegislature a or of Parliament €10bn with (House the troika of Commons, of the European House Commission,of Lords and devolvedthe European Assemblies Central in

Bank and the IMF. The deal involvesWales andthe restructuringNorthern Ireland). of Cyprus’s banking sector, the closure of its second biggest bank and potential losses for savers with deposits of over €100,000.

Appointed Prime Minister (or chancellor) as Head of Government and a monarch (or Cypriot exports (2015) ceremonialCypriot imports president) (2015) as Head of MalteseState. exports (2015) Maltese imports (2015) Facts and figures  41.4% of the Romanian population was considered to be at risk of poverty in 2010. This is the highest figure in the EU, where the average across all29% member states is 23.1%  Both and have had aboveFrom EU average economic growthTo EUsince states 2007, the year39% of theirFrom accession EU To EU states 44% states 48% states 52% To non-EU 56% From non- To non-EU From non- 61% states EU states states EU states First-Past-The-Post71% Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected using the first-past-the- post electoral system. Each of the 650 voting constituencies in the UK are represented by an MP. During the general and most local elections, the candidate with most of the votes Technical Terms  Sovereignty: having the ultimatebecomes power the to local make representative.decisions about your Candidates country. campaign door-to-door, hold debates and

 Eurozone: the geographical/economicpublish manifestos area formed (comparable by the EU countries to shopping that have list adopted of what the euro they are planning to do once  PPS: GDP per head is expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) to eliminate the differences in price levels between countries allowing meaningful volumethey comparisons are in power). of GDP betweenEligible countriesvoters, about 46m in the UK, receive their polling card once Links they register online, or they can vote by post.  http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat  http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/portal/portal.nsf/dmlgovernment_en/dmlgovernment_en?OpenDocument Party with most of the votes is invited by the Queen to form a government. If there is no  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2145.html  http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/index_en.htmclear winner, there is a hung Parliament. In this case, a minority or coalition government can be formed. A minority government does not have an overall majority in Parliament. A © CIVITAS Institute for the Study of Civil Society 2015 EU Country Profiles More EU factsheets: http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/index.phpcoalition government means that two or more political parties Author: agree Wil to James, share 05/2006 power in

Book EU events: http://wgovernment.ww.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/ If that doesEUevents not.php work out, new elections Last may update: be Lottecalled. van Buuren, 06/2015