The Interior Ministry’s circular on antisemitism, recent presidential appointments, and the new civil service evaluation system are at the center of political and public debate these days in Cyprus. Christophoros Christophorou, an expert in European media law, regulation, policies, and political and elections analyst. discussed these issues on Politis Radio 107.6’s Morning Review with Katerina Eliadi, stressing they are not isolated cases but questions of governance, ethics, and institutional integrity.
The first issue raised concerned a letter sent by the Interior Ministry to the Union of Municipalities instructing them to remove graffiti and slogans from walls, that Israel calls “antisemitic” and as inciting hatred following the intervention by Israel's diaspora minister. Christoforou was also asked to comment on the tendency of Cypriot authorities to “do favors” for foreign diplomats, citing as an example past interventions by Russia’s former ambassador in Nicosia, Stanislav Osadchiy, which sparked controversy.
He noted that while diplomatic démarches are common in international practice, this case was paradoxical: “The démarche did not go through the Foreign Ministry, as is the norm, but came from Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs and was relayed via the Interior Ministry to the Union of Municipalities”.
Christoforou underlined that the President’s diplomatic office, which sent the letter to the interior ministry is not an institutional authority but merely a liaison with the Foreign Ministry, and cannot substitute it. Moreover, the content itself was problematic: “It wasn’t a simple observation, but direct ‘instructions’ to local authorities on what to do and how to do it.”
Calling the handling unacceptable, he said it was paradoxical for the Interior Ministry to forward the Israeli minister’s message verbatim to Cypriot mayors: “A mayor cannot be receiving direct instructions from a foreign minister in this way.”
Commenting on Interior Minister’s claim that the letter was sent “in the line of duty,” Christoforou said this failed to address the substance: “It creates the impression that municipalities are obliged to comply with instructions from a foreign state.” He dismissed as inaccurate the Ministry’s comparison with past démarches in London about tourism advertising in the north: “The two cases are in no way related.”
As for the minister’s suggestion that such domestic criticism distracts from the President’s “international battles,” Christoforou countered that these are not secondary issues but matters of sovereignty and democratic freedoms. “You cannot enforce a ‘cutting of ties’ or silence those protesting against the genocide in Gaza,” he said, adding: “And let me be clear: what is happening in Gaza is genocide. This is not just the view of individuals or organisations, but of international bodies, human rights officials, and even Holocaust survivors.”
Presidential appointments
Christoforou also commented on the recent appointment of Maria Manoli Christofidou, a DISY cadre who publicly expressed dissatisfaction with her party and was then named Commissioner for Data Protection.
He outlined three levels of concern: procedural (laws stipulate procedures and calls for interest that were bypassed), ethical (the impression created when someone criticizes their party and immediately accepts a role that politically undercuts it), and substantive (whether the appointee has the necessary expertise for a role requiring high-level, specialized qualifications).
He noted that GRECO and other bodies are already evaluating Cyprus’ access-to-information law, which faces serious shortcomings identified in a university study commissioned by the state. The outgoing Commissioner had opposed some proposed amendments. With the change in office, reforms may be delayed further.
Christoforou remarked that many recent appointments show the same pattern: procedures bypassed, transparency sidelined, and political convenience prioritized. “Especially when we are talking about positions that safeguard citizens’ rights, the impression is that the priority is not transparency but favoritism.”
Civil service evaluations
Finally, on the new civil service evaluation system, implemented for the second year and again yielding the result that “everyone is excellent”—Christoforou said the system lacks planning and objective criteria.
“A proper evaluation requires five-year, annual, and quarterly targets. Supervisors must distribute work, monitor its execution, and assess not only quantity but also quality. The problem is that most directors lack these skills, either because they were never trained or because they were appointed on partisan grounds. As a result, even employees who want to perform well are discouraged when they see others promoted for reasons unrelated to merit.”
According to Christoforou, the Interior Ministry’s “antisemitism” circular, the President’s political appointments, and the failed evaluation system are all connected:
“These are not isolated incidents. They go to the heart of governance, the relationship between state and citizens, and the ethical standards that should guide public life. Without transparency, institutional consistency, and respect for due process, public trust and democracy itself in Cyprus are undermined.”