Parliament is set to receive the nominal lists of private donors to the Independent Social Support Agency, following a formal request by MPs seeking full transparency over the fund’s financing since 2020. The lists will be submitted on a confidential basis, citing personal data protection concerns.
Donor Lists to Be Submitted, Pending Legal Clearance
The General Accountant of the Republic, Andreas Antoniadis, has confirmed his readiness to respond positively to Parliament’s request and submit the nominal lists of donors to the Independent Social Support Agency, provided that the Legal Service consents.
Speaking to Politis, Antoniadis said the Legal Service is not expected to object, as long as strict confidentiality is ensured due to personal data considerations. He was responding to a question on whether he intends to submit the donor lists, as formally requested by Parliament.
The Request from the Institutions Committee
The request was submitted by Dimitris Demetriou, chair of the parliamentary Institutions Committee and MP for DISY.
Last Thursday, Demetriou sent a letter to Antoniadis, asking him, within the framework of parliamentary oversight, to submit by the upcoming Wednesday the following information regarding the Agency’s funding:
- A nominal list of all natural and legal persons who made donations or contributions to the Independent Social Support Agency from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025, broken down by year.
- The number of persons who made anonymous donations during the same period, per year, specifying how many were natural persons and how many legal entities.
Measures to Prevent Data Leaks
Antoniadis, who serves as treasurer of the Agency, stressed that there is no intention to withhold information from Parliament. However, he clarified that the donor lists will be transmitted in a classified and controlled manner, in order to prevent any leakage of personal data or sensitive information.
What MPs Are Investigating
The resignation of Philippa Karsera from the presidency of the Agency’s Management Committee, combined with presidential statements on the possibility of abolishing the Agency, has partially eased public reactions triggered by the so-called videogate affair. Parliamentary scrutiny, however, has not been halted.
Members of the Institutions Committee are seeking clarity on who stands behind private contributions amounting to many millions of euros, in order to determine whether:
- Any form of quid pro quo existed in exchange for donations to the fund. Since 2024, MPs have alleged that the Agency was used by the Presidential Palace for vote-seeking purposes. The widely circulated video implies that major investors seeking to bypass bureaucracy or secure favourable treatment from President Nikos Christodoulides were expected to donate specifically to the Agency’s fund, chaired at the time by the First Lady, rather than to other charities.
- Conflicts of interest arise, following findings by the Audit Office of Cyprus, which identified cases where individuals or companies made large donations, in some instances up to €600,000, while simultaneously holding state contracts or bidding for new ones.
In its report dated 4 November 2025, the Audit Office noted that “the lack of transparency characterising the operation of the fund creates conditions that may give rise to public distrust”, particularly because “the spouse of the chair of the Social Support Agency is simultaneously the President of the Republic, who takes decisions directly or indirectly affecting businesses and private companies making contributions”.
The Future of the Agency
Asked about next steps, Antoniadis confirmed that today, Monday, a proposal by the Management Committee on the future of the Agency will be forwarded to the Minister of Labour, Marinos Mousiouttas.
The existing legal framework does not preclude the appointment of a new chair, provided the individual is of recognised standing and integrity. Article 6 of the law governing the Independent Social Support Agency provides that:
- A Management Committee of five members is established, including a chair and a treasurer.
- The chair is appointed from among the spouses of the sitting President of the Republic. If the President has no spouse, or the spouse declines the role, the Council of Ministers appoints a person of recognised standing and moral integrity.
- The treasurer is the General Accountant of the Republic or a duly authorised representative.
- Members include the permanent secretaries of the Ministries of Labour, Education and Health, or their authorised representatives.
1,800 Applications Pending
Under the law, the final decision on the Agency’s future rests with the Council of Ministers, which may either dissolve it or appoint a new chair.
Most political parties, however, argue that there is no longer justification for maintaining the fund. The Agency was created during the financial crisis to support underprivileged students through private-sector donations, at a time when public finances were under severe strain. Legislation expressly prohibits funding from the Republic’s Consolidated Fund.
Parties advocating dissolution propose that responsibility for student support should return to state services, potentially through the State Scholarships Foundation. Any decision to dissolve the Agency cannot take immediate effect, as approximately 1,800 student applications remain pending and must first be assessed.
Mandatory Disclosure for Donations Above €20,000
At its most recent meeting last Monday, the Agency’s Management Committee adopted a recommendation by Andreas Papaconstantinou, originally submitted in November, requiring the publication of donor names for annual contributions exceeding €20,000.
The decision took immediate effect. All donors, natural or legal persons, whose contributions exceed this threshold must now sign a consent form authorising disclosure. Donations without consent will not be accepted.
Donor details will be published annually, alongside the Management Committee’s year-end report. The new rule applies to all donations made from 5 January 2026 onwards.