Day: February 17, 2023

Excess mortality in Cyprus in December 2022 dropped to +19% of the average number of deaths for the same period in 2016-2019, and soared to +19% in the EU, the highest recorded value in 2022, according to Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

This is a sharp increase from November for the EU, when excess mortality was at +8%. In comparison, the excess mortality rate was +30% in December 2020 and +24% in December 2021.

In Cyprus, excess mortality for December marks a significant decrease from November when the rate was at +28% (+14% in May, +11% in June, +16% in August and +14% in September). In comparison to previous years, the excess mortality rate in Cyprus was +27% in December 2020, and +28% in December 2021.

In December 2022, excess mortality continued to vary across the EU members. Romania and Bulgaria (both -6%) recorded values lower than the national monthly average for 2016-19, while Hungary (+3%), Luxembourg, Spain and Malta (all +10%) had excess mortality rates less than half the EU average.

Conversely, the highest rate was recorded in Germany (+37%). Other countries with rates over +20% were Austria (+27%), Slovenia (+26 %), Ireland and France (both +25%), Czechia, the Netherlands and Estonia (all +23 %), Denmark (+22%), and Finland and Lithuania (both +21%).

The EU registered earlier major peaks in excess deaths in April 2020 (+25%), November 2020 (+40%), April 2021 (+21%) and November 2021 (+27%). July 2022 also showed significantly higher than the baseline mortality, possibly due to the heatwaves that affected parts of Europe during the reference period.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has expressed certainty that his country and Cyprus will have the opportunity to promote their “valuable relationship” during the coming years, in a letter he sent to President-elect, Nikos Christodoulides, congratulating him over his election on behalf of the French people and himself.

Moreover, Macron reiterated his support “to a just and viable solution for the reunification of the island of Cyprus within the UN parameters and on the basis of a bizonal and bicommunal federation, providing full guarantees to the two communities for their political equality.”

Macron noted in his letter that “our two countries share the same aspiration for a strong and sovereign Europe and I am convinced that we will continue to act jointly with a view to address the many common challenges.”

“Collective defence, industrial sovereignty, the management of migration flows, the ecological, energy and digital transitions will be at the core of our discussions during the next months,” he added.

Moreover he noted that “in view of the ongoing brutal and illegal offensive of Russia in Ukraine, the next months will also be crucial as regards our help to Ukraine for its resilience, victory and reconstruction.”

“You are aware of the commitment of France to a settlement of the Cyprus issue. I reiterate my support to a just and viable solution for the reunification of the island of Cyprus within the UN parameters and on the basis of a bizonal and bicommunal federation, providing full guarantees to the two communities for their political equality,” Macron said.

He added that “the bilateral relations between our two countries have experienced an unprecedented development in recent years in many fields. The close cooperation between our armed forces, our cooperation in the field of education or the boost given to the French language in your educational system constitute such examples.”

He expressed certainty that “we will have the opportunity to promote this valuable relationship in the coming years, among others in the economic sector as well.”

Moreover, Macron said he looked forward to meet and to cooperate with Christodoulides “on our next international, European and bilateral issues.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

With the participation of personnel from the United States Armed Forces European Command (USEUCOM), Cyprus National Guard organised a joint training on issues of managing the wounded in the battlefield from 13 to 17 February, 2023.

The training took place in the framework of special small-scale operations, under the name “SILVER FALCON SOFEX – 2023” at the “STAVROU STYLIANIDI” Military Camp in Kornos village.

According to the Cyprus Ministry of Defence, the main aim of the joint training in which the Brigade’s medical and paramedical personnel took part, was to increase knowledge in the selection, management and evacuation of wounded from the battlefield.

As it is noted, the Joint training is considered particularly beneficial, as it provided the opportunity for National Guard personnel to co-train and gain valuable knowledge from specialised First Aid providers and US Special Forces paramedics.

It also constitutes the continuation of the important initiatives that are underway as well as a confirmation of the continuous upgrading of the military cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus and the USA in new areas of mutual interest, including training through which National Guard personnel gain valuable experiences and know-how.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The tenth volume of the Cyprus File was published on Friday, the House of Representatives announced.

The Cyprus File is a joint initiative of the Parliaments of Greece and Cyprus and is being implemented in the framework of the Cooperation Protocol for Access to the Material of the Hellenic Parliament’s Investigative Committee into the Cyprus File, signed by the Parliaments of Cyprus and Greece in January 2016.

The Files contain testimonial material collected by the Investigative Committee to collect and evaluate evidence on the Greek military coup in Cyprus and the Turkish invasion that followed days after.

The tenth volume, which is currently being printed and will soon be available in bookshops, includes minutes of the Investigative committee held between 19-26 November 1986 during which a Ch. Palainis, G. Matatsis, A. Perdikis, E. Glentzes, M. Pilichos and D. Papapostolou testified.

As noted in the foreword of the volume by Constantinos Tasoulas, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament and Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives, the voluminous material, consisting of 139 volumes, contains testimonies of the protagonists, the responsible individuals, and all those who directly or indirectly participated or were involved in the coup against the then President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, as well as all those whose actions were linked to the events of the Turkish invasion that followed.

Tasoulas and Demetriou underline the material published does not assign institutional or ultimate accountability.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island’s northern third.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, has extended an invitation to the newly elected President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, to pay a visit to his country.

Duda sent a letter to Christodoulides congratulating him over his election and noting that he is deeply convinced that his activities will contribute to the comprehensive settlement and strengthening of the position of the Republic of Cyprus.

The Polish President expressed hope that Christodoulides’ presidential term of office will also provide an opportunity for further deepening cooperation between the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Cyprus.

Extending an invitation to Christodoulides to visit Poland, Duda said he was convinced that it would significantly strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and societies.

Meanwhile the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, said in a letter he sent to congratulate Christodoulides, that the strong ties connecting Cyprus and Italy, which develop both bilaterally and within the context of belonging to the EU and the Mediterranean family, become even more relevant in view of the challenges that Cyprus and Italy – along with the other partners – have to face in order to guarantee a horizon of stability and prosperity in Europe and in the Mediterranean.

Moreover, Mattarella expressed hope that the efforts for the reunification of Cyprus may regain interest.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

In the third quarter of 2022, there were 3.5 million recent job leavers in the EU between the age of 25 and 54, of which more than two-thirds (68.9%) had left their job for labour market reasons, meaning the end of a fixed-term contract, a dismissal or a business closure for economic reasons, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

Recent job leavers are defined as people who left their job in the last three months before data was collected and are no longer in employment, here the focus is on those aged 25-54 years old.

This share was 3.2 percentage points (pp) lower compared with the third quarter of 2021.

In Cyprus, the share of recent job leavers that left their job for labour market reasons was at 38.9% during the third quarter of 2022. Eurostat did not provide data for how this percentage has changed on a national level.

In the third quarter of 2022, among the EU members, the highest shares of people leaving their jobs due to labour market reasons were recorded in Italy (89.9%), followed by Hungary (88.6%), Greece (87.6%), Spain (81.6%) and Croatia (70.6%).

There was a large gap between the highest and lowest shares, with the lowest share recorded in the Netherlands (27.3%). This was followed by the Czech Republic (31.6%), Lithuania (32.3 %), Estonia (36.6%) and Ireland (36.7%).

On an EU level, the importance of the labour market reason was even stronger among those with a low level of education (74.6%), followed by those with high and medium levels of education (67.8% and 66.2%, respectively).

The prevalent reason for workers leaving their jobs was the end of a fixed-term contract. In total, in the third quarter of 2022, 53.1% of total job leavers (1.8 million people) left their job because their contract ended, indicating a 3.9 percentage points (pp) decrease compared with the same quarter of 2021 (57.0%; 2.0 million people).

Across levels of education, the end of a fixed-term job had the highest share among job leavers with a low level of education (57.1%), followed by those with a high level of education (56.3%) and with a medium level (47.5%).

The second most common reason for leaving a job was dismissal or a business closure for economic reasons, which concerned 545 thousand people (15.8% of all recent job leavers against 15.1 % in Q3 2021).

Leaving their job for other or not stated reasons ranked third, affecting 478 thousand people (13.9%), followed by education or other personal reasons (311 thousand people; 9.0%) and family reasons, illness or retirement (283 thousand people; 8.2%).

Compared with the third quarter of 2021, there was a +1.9 pp increase in the share of people who left their job for education or personal reasons (e.g. taking care of friends or non-relatives, wanting more leisure time, no need for work, travelling, changing place of residence etc.), from 246 thousand people to 311 thousand in the third quarter of 2022.

This increase was more pronounced among those with a low level of education (+2.6 pp to 5.9%) and those with a high level of education (+2.5 pp to 10.8%).

Source: Cyprus News Agency