Tassos Papadopoulos

5th President of the Republic of Cyprus (2003-2008)

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Tassos Papadopoulos was the president of Cyprus from 2003 to 2008, serving during a significant period in the island nation's modern history. His presidency mattered because it occurred while Cyprus was joining the European Union and dealing with the long-standing division between its Greek and Turkish communities.

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Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos (Greek: Ευστάθιος (Τάσσος) Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008) was a Cypriot politician and barrister, who served as President of Cyprus from 2003 to 2008.

An experienced member of the Makarios III’s cabinet, Papadopoulos took charge of the country’s parliament in 1976, two years after the Turkish invasion, and became one the island’s most notable proponents of a hardline position on Cypriot reunification. It was this sentiment that he successfully employed as a candidate in the 2003 presidential election, after which he directed the population to reject the Annan Plan. However, his inability to negotiate an alternative contributed to his failure to win re-election in 2008, despite generally maintaining high approval ratings during his presidency.