The pressure generated by the discussion on reshuffling left no room for delay for Nikos Christodoulides, who hastened to announce changes to the government structure yesterday morning.
Four new Ministers, one Deputy Minister, a new Undersecretary, and three Commissioners are among the key appointments.
Vasilis Palmas takes over the Ministry of Defense from Michalis Giorgallas, Maria Panayiotou assumes the role of Minister of Agriculture, replacing Petros Xenophontos, Marios Hartsiotis is appointed as the Minister of Justice, succeeding Anna Koukkides-Procopiou, Michalis Damianos steps into the role of Minister of Health, succeeding Popi Kanari, and Nikodemos Damianou becomes the Undersecretary of Research and Innovation, succeeding the resigned Philippos Hadjizacharias.
President Christodoulides also appointed Marilena Raouna to the newly formed Undersecretariat for European Affairs, while Antonia Theodosiou is appointed as the Commissioner for the Environment, succeeding Maria Panayiotou.
Panagiotis Palates is appointed as the Commissioner for Citizens, and Charalambos Christofinas becomes the Commissioner for Mountainous Areas.
These changes are essentially the result of behind-the-scenes processes led by the President himself on Sunday.
It seems evident that he wanted to promptly close the matter, understanding the damage caused by the continued discussion.
Departing Ministers learned about their replacements yesterday morning, with some of them caught off guard.
In at least one case, a Minister had assured until Sunday night that everything was a product of journalists’ imagination.
The announced departures align closely with the scenarios that had been circulating.
Some information suggests that the President had considered other Ministers as well, but for various reasons, the first phase of the reshuffle was limited to yesterday’s announcements.
The initial analysis clearly indicates Nikos Christodoulides’ shift towards a more partisan Cabinet. Michalis Damianos, being the vice-president of DIKO, signifies this shift, and his name had been in recent scenarios for the mayor of Strovolos.
Panagiotis Palates, originally intended for the position of the main organizer of DIKO, had a change of fate when Fytos Constantinou decided to remain in his position. Palates had been appointed as a presidential advisor by Christodoulides.
Vasilis Palmas, from DIPA, remained in the government, serving as the Deputy Minister in Nikos Anastasiadis’s administration.
Maria Panayiotou had been the spokesperson for EDEK for years, and Antonia Theodosiou, who replaces her, comes from the Ecologists and was among the founding members of the movement along with Giorgos Perdikis. Perdikis had stated, after returning to lead the Ecologists, that the movement was open to participating in Christodoulides’ government.
As for the new Minister of Justice, he is considered to belong to the broader Democratic Rally (DISY) circle and is the son-in-law of Avgerinos Papares, a former MP of DISY in Limassol.
The Commissioner for Mountainous Areas was a member of the youth branch of DISY, as mentioned in his CV, and, according to information, he had supported Nikos Christodoulides’ candidacy in the pre-election period.
The new Minister of Innovation had worked for Christodoulides’ election campaign and had actively supported the election of Christodoulides, according to information.
Unexpectedly, the leaders of the coalition parties were also taken by surprise. Nicolas Papadopoulos, Marinos Sizopoulos, and Marios Garoyian were informed in the morning about the President’s decisions regarding the changes in the government.
What is surprising, however, is that while the President reshuffled the government in a way that gives a more pronounced partisan color to the government, he did not inform the party leaders supporting him.
Although none of the three expressed disagreement, there are reports of dissatisfaction, mainly with how the President handled the matter. Nicolas Papadopoulos did not attend the morning briefing, while Marios Garoyian was sufficiently critical in his statement, and his body language revealed his displeasure.
“The appointments made were an exclusive privilege and decision of the President of the Republic,” said the President of DIKO, Nicolas Papadopoulos, emphasizing that Ministers will be judged by their actions.
“I also learned about the reshuffle this morning. From there on, as we have said many times, it is a matter for the President of the Republic according to his plans, which he has made, according to the priorities he will set himself in promoting the implementation of the government’s work,” said the President of EDEK, Marinos Sizopoulos.
DIPA President Marios Garoyian said that yesterday morning at 9, he was informed by the President of the Republic when he called them, about his decisions, and there was no consultation.
“President Christodoulides decided to handle it this way. It is his constitutional right. We always believed in institutions,” he said.
President Nikos Christodulides commented on the recent government reshuffle, stating, “Our pre-election program is our social contract with the Cypriot people, and our efforts are centered around that.”
Speaking to reporters at the Leventis Museum and responding to questions about the criteria for ministerial replacements, the President emphasized the significant work accomplished in the past ten months.
He expressed pride in the government’s overall achievements and reiterated the commitment to fulfill promises to the Cypriot people, addressing their daily concerns and challenges.
However, the government’s decision to reshuffle the cabinet faced harsh criticism from the Democratic Rally (DISY) and the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL).
DISY President, Annita Demetriou, commented on the reshuffle, stating that DISY does not participate in the government.
She described it as a governmental crisis “created by the President himself,” emphasizing that this crisis should not be transferred to the citizens or decisions affecting the country.
Demetriou wished success to the new ministers and deputy ministers, concluding with a remark that the grace period had ended.
Stefanos Stefanou, the General Secretary of AKEL, expressed his disappointment with the reshuffle, stating, “The fact that a government is obligated to announce, discuss, and ultimately carry out a reshuffle within the first ten months is an expression of great disappointment caused by the initial months of the country’s governance.”
According to Stefanou, the government failed to bring a new spirit or demonstrate the ability to handle even the simplest issues, leaving the public seeking solutions to pressing problems.
