Government Reshuffle Begins in Cyprus

In the government of the Republic of Cyprus, four ministers have been replaced simultaneously. President Nikos Christodoulides announced the upcoming changes a week ago.

According to Cyprus-mail, starting from Wednesday, Vasilis Palmas will replace Michalis Giorgallas as the Minister of Defense, Maria Panayiotou will become the Minister of Agriculture instead of Petros Xenofontos; Marios Harsiotis will replace Anna Procopiou as the Minister of Justice, and Michalis Damianos will lead the Ministry of Health instead of Popi Kanaris.

In addition, Nikodemos Damianou has been appointed Deputy Minister of Innovation, Research, and Digital Policy. He will replace Filippos Hadjizacharias in this position.

Marilena Rauna has been appointed Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Panayiotis Palates as Commissioner for Civil Affairs, Haralambos Hristofinis as Commissioner for Mountainous Regions, and Antonia Theodosiou as Commissioner for the Environment.

In his statement, Nikos Christodoulides expressed "sincere gratitude for the services provided by the outgoing ministers and their commendable cooperation during their tenure."

Announcing the upcoming personnel changes on December 31, Nikos Christodoulides noted that all new ministers, deputy ministers, and commission members would have significant experience in their respective fields.

Vasilis Palmas previously served as the president of the youth wing of the Democratic Party and also acted as the director of the president's press office and government representative in Tasos Papadopoulos' administration.

Maria Panayiotou held the position of Commissioner for the Environment and holds a master's degree in architecture with a specialization in ecological construction and restoration of architectural heritage.

Marios Harsiotis has been managing his own law firm in Limassol since 1990.

Michalis Damianos, a lawyer, served as a municipal advisor to the Strovolos Municipality from 2011 to 2016.