Parliament members on Thursday called for an increase in the monthly allowance paid to Cypriot cadets at Greek military academies, and for help with their air fares, after hearing that the allowance has stayed at 152 euros.
The House Defence Committee, attended by the National Guard General Staff and the defence and education ministries, was discussing how to make military academies more appealing to young people, after a significant drop in candidates in 2024-2025. It heard that the cadets’ allowance is the same as that paid to conscripts. An earlier defence ministry request for a one-off payment of 250 euros per cadet for travel costs was rejected by the finance ministry.
ELAM parliament member Christos Christou called for the allowance to be raised to 650 euros, saying “that is the amount Greek cadets receive”. He also proposed free air tickets so that cadets could visit their families, saying such measures would help draw more candidates.
Defence ministry permanent secretary Stelios Kountouris said additional spending had to be examined by the finance ministry. Covering it from the existing budget would mean cutting other spending, such as on armaments, he said. Christou replied that the defence ministry’s budget should be increased instead of making cuts elsewhere. Kountouris said the ministry intended to raise both issues again.
National Guard deputy chief Lieutenant General Neophytos Pachoulides said he recognised the financial difficulties cadets face. As well as living at the academies, they need to keep a home outside, even with flatmates, he said, adding that the National Guard would like to help them with scholarships.
On travel, Pachoulides said “we must give at least one free ticket a year”. At present, cadets receive two free tickets over their four years of study, one to Greece and one back.
Recruitment
After the drop in candidates, Pachoulides said, efforts were made to improve information for students, with the education ministry and careers counsellors. This year, all the places requested at the Hellenic Army Academy (Evelpidon) were filled. The National Guard General Staff has set up three information teams to visit students in the first two years of upper secondary school across Cyprus.
A ten-year personnel plan has been drawn up, and the number of places for Cypriots at Greek military academies may rise in the coming years, he said. He also referred to ways of making non-commissioned officer careers more rewarding. These included a proposal for a four-year course at NCO schools, as in Greece, and improving the contract soldier scheme.
Among Cypriot cadets’ achievements this year, he said, five of the ten sergeant-majors at an NCO school are Cypriots, and a Cypriot woman holds a leading position at a naval cadet school.
DISY parliament member Charalambos Petrides said attracting cadets had become more important because of arms procurement and changes to the National Guard’s organisational structure. He asked for room to improve incentives to be examined, to draw more and better-suited candidates.
