Christofias... last year sought to delay Cyprus's adoption of the euro which replaced the local currency last month.

He also pledged to keep Cyprus Telecommunications Authority and Electricity Authority of Cyprus under state control and to fight EU measures that might weaken welfare provisions and trade union powers. A spokesman of the opposition Disy party, Tassos Mitsopoulos, on Feb. 20 accused him of seeking to make Cyprus a "state of Euro-skeptics."

"I am not a Euro-skeptic," the communist leader said in a television debate with Kasoulides three days ago. "I'm a Euro- fighter. I fight for Cyprus's best interests within Europe. I won't say yes to everything the EU says."