Cyprus parliamentary committee approves funds for presidential limousine

The Cyprus Parliamentary Committee on Finance has approved the release of 595,000 euros for the purchase of a new armored limousine for President Nikos Christodoulides. The decision followed a closed-door session where officials from the Electromechanical Services Department explained that the acquisition was based on technical assessments of the current vehicle fleet used for the President and high-level official visitors.

The procurement sparked significant controversy after President Christodoulides initially claimed he was unaware of the purchase, stating he had only learned about it from media reports. This triggered backlash from political parties, including AKEL, which criticized the President for claiming ignorance regarding a decision approved by his own Cabinet on July 16, 2026. The Deputy Government Spokesman, Giannis Antoniou, later clarified that the President was aware of the Cabinet's decision but not the specific technical details or specifications of the vehicle, characterizing the President's initial statement as a "misstatement.

Despite the friction, the funding was cleared with support from DISY, DIKO, ELAM, and the Direct Democracy movement, while the ALMA movement voted against it. Technical officials noted the current reserve vehicle is from 2010 and needs replacement, with the new armored car expected to be ready by late 2027 or early 2028.