Dorita Yiannakou
As the year draws to a close, it is time to take stock, and once we do, it is time to correct what has gone wrong. Across generations, and not just from those of us in the private sector but also from some conscientious public servants, a persistent problem in this country has been the public sector. Or, more accurately, the way it has been built and allowed to function for decades.
A public sector that, instead of shrinking, keeps growing and is increasingly filled with so-called "the excellent." Let me be clear. We are not suggesting that positions should not open or that more workers should not join the state machinery. What we are advocating for is proper planning so that each ministry, deputy ministry, and state agency only creates positions that are genuinely needed.
The chaos in critical ministries, where many public servants have joined the system chasing job security, a predictable schedule, and salary scales, is unacceptable. This country can no longer tolerate it. The era of the "excellent" and the first-class citizen employees must end. Achieving this in 2026 may be ambitious, but at the very least, we need to start.
The situation is absurd. While the state complains of understaffing, in many cases ministries are actually overstaffed. So what is the problem? Only a handful of employees take on real responsibilities, often beyond their official duties. The rest, the vast majority, do only the minimum, delaying tasks until the last moment and then leaving.
Another longstanding problem, which no politician has dared to address, is the resistance to change among long-serving public servants. Reform is met with objections, protests, and outright obstruction. And this is not just about technology upgrades or IT systems; it is about realignment of responsibilities.
Take Cyprus’ upcoming EU Council Presidency in the first half of next year. New tasks will emerge, to be shared across ministries and among public servants. And yet, with cries of "not my department," "not my responsibility," and "I am not involved," the ball gets passed from one office to another. The result is that Cyprus ends up exposed.
Of course, public servants are not entirely to blame. The system itself has created ministries with responsibilities they cannot or will not fulfill. And here is where political leaders, appointed to solve problems, impose order, and get things done, should step up. But do they? Rarely. Ministers themselves are too often guided by public servants with powerful unions.
Meanwhile, the audacity of some employees is extraordinary. They refuse to accept criticism from anyone, believing themselves to be the elite of the workforce. The annual evaluation reports confirm it. In 2024, the average rating for public servants rose to 9.01 out of 10, up from 8.74 in 2023. Only a handful of departments, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, the IT Services Department, and the Press and Information Office, demonstrated meaningful adherence to evaluation standards. In the rest, average scores not only stagnated but rose further, sometimes dramatically.
So, gentlemen, the question is simple. Do you dare to act, or are our children condemned to inherit this cancer as well?
