Haris Tsangarides and Elisavet Constantinou are set to fill the two permanent secretary posts in the civil service, according to information obtained by Politis. The move is expected to bring changes to the government’s senior administrative structure. Neither of them yet knows which ministry they will be moved to.
The information follows Politis’s report earlier today on the upcoming changes among ministry permanent secretaries and the staffing needs they create.
Who the two appointees are
Mr Tsangarides is currently Executive Director of the National Gaming and Casino Supervision Authority. Ms Constantinou is Director of Medical and Public Health Services, and since December 2025 she has also been acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.
The selection of the two new permanent secretaries is especially significant given the changes expected in ministries and other government services in the coming period. As Politis reported earlier, one of the upcoming departures is that of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Elikkos Elia, who is retiring. A new permanent secretary is expected to be in place from 1 December.
New Interior Ministry permanent secretary from 1 December
Mr Elia’s upcoming departure has already been made public. Minister of Interior Constantinos Ioannou referred to his retirement on Monday, during the debate on the ministry’s budget before the House Finance Committee.
According to Politis’s information, Mr Elia is expected to begin his pre-retirement leave on 30 November, and his successor is expected to take up the post on 1 December.
Mr Elia became Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior on 1 July 2023. Since March, he has also served as head of administration at the Presidency.
Possible changes at the Deputy Ministry of Tourism
Apart from the change at the Ministry of Interior, Politis’s information indicates that further developments cannot be ruled out at the Deputy Ministry of Tourism. There has recently been a serious dispute there between Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis and Permanent Secretary Neophytos Papadopoulos.
According to Politis’s information, the possibility of Mr Papadopoulos leaving the post remains open, following his months-long dispute with Mr Koumis.
Last June, Mr Papadopoulos was placed on three-month suspension by decision of the Public Service Commission, following a request from the Deputy Minister of Tourism. The decision was linked to a disciplinary investigation into matters concerning how he performed his duties.
He returned to his post in October, after the suspension period and its extension ended. The disciplinary procedure has not yet been completed.
Mr Papadopoulos has also taken legal action, challenging the legality of the decision to suspend him. In the course of those proceedings, the constitutionality of deputy ministries has also been raised.
