Commissioner for children's rights questions involvement of minors in political videos

On October 5, 2026, the Cyprus Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, Elena Pericleous, issued a formal letter to Member of the European Parliament Phidias Panayiotou. The correspondence follows the publication of social media videos featuring children participating in a recent public mobilization regarding electricity costs. Pericleous expressed significant concern over how these minors were included in the protests.

While the Commissioner affirmed that children have a fundamental right to be informed and participate in peaceful public discourse, she emphasized that this must be done through autonomous choice, not exploitation. Pericleous argued that for participation to be meaningful, children must be properly briefed and capable of understanding the issues. She warned against the instrumentalization of children by adults to boost political agendas, asserting that children's voices must remain their own.

The intervention serves as a public reminder regarding institutional standards on child participation. Pericleous noted that the issue extends beyond this specific incident, touching upon the broader societal practice of involving minors in public life. The Commissioner's office intends for this action to spark a necessary debate on how adults handle children's presence in political and public settings.