On July 30, 2025, a new law came into force allowing elected and appointed officials to voluntarily renounce pensions from the public sector while holding office. The legislation, published in the Government Gazette, requires that a “Pension Waiver Declaration” be signed and submitted either immediately upon election or appointment, or within 15 days at the latest.
The law applies only to officials entering office after July 30. That means the 30 current officeholders who already receive both a salary and one or more state pensions are exempt.
Law Born of Political Pressure
The law, formally titled the Pension Waiver Law of 2025, was introduced jointly by DISY and DIKO, aiming to pressure the 30 sitting officials to relinquish their pensions. However, retroactive provisions were ruled out, as they would have been deemed unconstitutional.
President Nikos Christodoulides has already set an example. This week he announced he would give up his €730 monthly civil service pension, which he has received since the age of 45. Strictly speaking, it is not a waiver but a donation: the pension will be redirected to charitable foundations rather than returned to the state treasury. The key question now is whether the remaining 29 officials, particularly ministers and MPs from ruling parties, will follow his lead.
Ministers and MPs Under Scrutiny
Those currently collecting both salary and pension include:
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Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, who declared in his Pothen Esches that on top of his €5,957 monthly salary he also receives €4,151 in pensions as a former minister and former civil servant.
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Education Minister Athina Michaelidou, who draws a state pension as a former teacher.
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Deputy Minister to the President, Irini Piki, who collects a pension as a former senior official in the Finance Ministry.
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Seven MPs also receive pensions alongside their salaries of roughly €5,500: Yiannakis Gavriel (AKEL), Andreas Themistocleous (independent), Charalambos Theopemptou (Greens), Giorgos Karoullas (DISY), Marinos Moushiouttas (DIPA), Rita Superman (DISY), and Alekos Tryfonides (DIPA).
No Legal Obligation to Waive
In Cyprus, pensions are recognised as a vested property right under Article 23 of the Constitution. Courts have consistently ruled they cannot be arbitrarily withdrawn. As such, neither the President nor Parliament can compel ministers, MPs, or any official to give up their pensions. The decision rests solely with the individual, under the new waiver mechanism approved by Parliament on July 10 and enacted on July 30.
Under the law:
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Officials may renounce pensions while drawing a public salary by filing a waiver with the Finance Minister.
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The waiver must be submitted within 15 days of taking office, and pensions resume immediately after leaving office.
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Officials may revoke the waiver at any time with written notice.
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If no waiver is filed, the Finance Minister must notify the House Speaker in writing.
Past Practice: Donation, Not Waiver
Before this law, officials who chose not to collect pensions simply informed the Treasury in writing, donating the funds either back to the state or to charities. Former ministers Kikis Kazamias, Zeta Emilianidou, Ioannis Kasoulides, and Yiannakis Omirou did so, as did Limassol mayor Nikos Nicolaides. Current DISY MPs Averof Neophytou, Onoufrios Koullas and, more recently, Savia Orphanidou also followed this path.
The new law now formalises a practice that was once a matter of personal ethics. The political challenge remains: will today’s officeholders take the same step, or will they continue collecting both pay and pensions under the shield of constitutionally protected rights?