Giorgos Papageorgiou, Director-General of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, has withdrawn a controversial letter sent to the Finance Ministry which had sparked strong internal reactions and contributed to a one-hour staff walkout.
Deputy Minister of Culture Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina announced the withdrawal on Wednesday when questioned by Politis during a press conference presenting the 2026 Support Scheme for Cultural Activities of Religious Groups.
"The issue has ended, in the sense that the letter has been withdrawn by the Director-General himself, so the issue has ended," Papaellina said.
Letter sought change to financial control duties
Papageorgiou's letter to the Ministry of Finance concerned a proposal to concentrate the responsibilities of controlling officers under the Director-General.
Last Wednesday, following the one-hour work stoppage involving the Deputy Ministry's entire workforce, Papaellina said she had not been aware of the letter and had requested an explanation from Papageorgiou before taking a position.
On 17 September 2026, she also met the heads of the ministry's three departments, who presented the issues they said they were facing.
During Wednesday's press conference, Papaellina highlighted the presence of senior departmental officials, including the Director of the Department of Contemporary Culture, the State Archives Commissioner and a representative of the Department of Antiquities.
"We are here to implement the strategic objective of our Deputy Ministry, to upgrade, to the extent of our team's capabilities, the culture of our country," she said.
The role of controlling officers and the assignment of those responsibilities to departmental directors is not unique to the Deputy Ministry of Culture. Under existing legislation, controlling officers are designated in the respective annual Budget Law, with similar arrangements operating across other ministries and government departments.
Wider staff complaints remain unresolved
Despite the withdrawal of the letter, several other issues surrounding the Deputy Ministry and Papageorgiou's conduct remain open.
The problems predate Papaellina's appointment.
Employees had not only objected to the proposed changes involving controlling officers. They had also alleged continuing disparaging behaviour and described what they considered an intimidating, insulting and aggressive working environment.
Complaints relating to the Director-General had already been brought before PASYDY in June, with the trade union's Secretary-General publicly confirming their existence at the time on Politis 107.6 and 97.6.
Further dialogue expected
According to Politis, further developments are expected, with dialogue due to begin between the parties involved.
The withdrawal of the letter may therefore resolve the specific dispute concerning the controlling officers, as Papaellina indicated, but it does not settle the wider questions raised about the ministry's administration and working environment.
Papageorgiou was asked by Politis on Wednesday why he had decided to withdraw the letter but declined to explain his reasons.
Instead, he referred to the intention of all sides to move forward through dialogue.
