Christodoulides declines to set date for cabinet reshuffle announcement

Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday night that he would announce a cabinet reshuffle only once his decisions had been finalised. He confirmed that Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou had decided to leave the government.

Reshuffle speculation

Speaking in an interview with Ant1, Christodoulides dismissed weeks of speculation over possible cabinet changes, saying reports circulated in recent months did not reflect official decisions.

“A reshuffle is not leaked in advance. It is announced when the decisions have been made,” he said.

The president declined to comment on other possible departures or appointments and said he would not respond to daily reports naming prospective appointees.

Impact of public discussion

Christodoulides said the continuing public debate over the reshuffle had created difficulties for serving ministers and people reported to be under consideration for government positions.

“The public debate, especially the way it is being conducted, does not help anyone involved,” he said.

He added that previous administrations had followed a similar approach, referring to former president Glafcos Clerides, whose governments did not publicly discuss cabinet changes before formal announcements.

Cyprus issue priorities

Christodoulides said recent developments in the Cyprus issue had taken precedence over domestic political matters, particularly during the visit of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and efforts to advance the peace process.

“The reshuffle is important, but it was not my priority while the Secretary General was in Cyprus and discussions on the Cyprus issue were taking place,” he said.