Appointments and reshuffles in Cyprus civil defense and presidency

On March 23, 2026, the Council of Ministers of Cyprus announced several personnel changes affecting the Civil Defense and the Presidential Palace. Colonel Theodoros Lemoniatis was appointed as Deputy Commander of Civil Defense, serving from March 24, 2026, to March 23, 2029. He replaces Maria Papa, who was transferred to the Audit Office following public criticism regarding the condition of civil defense shelters. Additionally, Elikkos Ilias, Director General of the Ministry of Interior, has been seconded to the Presidential Palace to perform special duties from March 23, 2026, until October 31, 2026. Simultaneously, the secondment of Andreas Grigoriou, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, to the Presidential Palace was terminated effective March 23, 2026. Grigoriou was recently named in a parliamentary report regarding responsibility for a fatal wildfire in mountainous Limassol last year, where he served as the appointed fire coordinator. These decisions were published in the Official Gazette of the Republic.