Opinion
By Haridimos Tsoukas
In the famous film ''Dead Poet's Society'', Welton is an exclusive private boarding school for the American elite, where tradition reigns supreme. The school is conservative and strict, with its main values encapsulated in the motto: ''Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence.''
Michaelides became the John Keating of a nation where hypocrisy, bribery, and corruption coexisted with ostentatious displays of patriotism and piety.
Life remains dull and uneventful until John Keating arrives as the new English literature teacher. His unconventional approach to poetry breathes life into the classroom, inspiring students to explore the deeper meanings of life and the world around them. His mantra? "Seize the day." Though the school’s conservative establishment is wary of him, the atmosphere begins to change. Students start searching, questioning, and feeling. However, when one student tragically takes his own life, the blame falls on Keating. He’s dismissed, and order is swiftly restored.
A Wayward Superintendent
The Auditor General’s Office (AGO), before Odysseas Michaelides, was like Welton—conservative and subdued. Under Chrystalla Yiorkadji, for instance, the office went about its work with little friction. Yiorkadji did examine issues, but never too deeply or disruptively. Everyone, including President Anastasiades, seemed pleased. In fact, the president was so content that he appointed her Governor of the Central Bank, despite her lack of experience in banking.
This lethargy was disrupted when Michaelides took over. His zeal for defending the public interest was almost missionary. Unlike his predecessors, he showed no interest in pleasing the powerful and instead held them accountable. By Cypriot standards, he was an oddity—uncompromising, not inclined to social niceties, and entirely unafraid of making enemies.
Under his leadership, the AGO became a thorn in the side of officials accustomed to little oversight. Public officials, once operating with impunity, suddenly found themselves held accountable. Decision-makers knew they were being watched, and fraudsters were jailed. Michaelides became the John Keating of a nation where hypocrisy, bribery, and corruption coexisted with ostentatious displays of patriotism and piety.
The Deep State at Work
Radical officials or researchers are rarely tolerated for long by the system. The deep state has its ways of eliminating them. In extreme cases, assassination isn’t off the table, as demonstrated by the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta (2017). More often, though, democratic nations employ subtler tactics to silence troublesome figures. This is achieved through one of three methods.
First, there’s institutional co-optation, as in the case of Christos Rammos, head of Greece’s Communications Privacy Authority, who was effectively neutralized by changes to the board's composition. Second, officials are vilified and pressured to resign, as was the case with Italian corruption investigator Antonio Di Pietro. Finally, they are outright dismissed, like Romanian Anti-Corruption Directorate head Laura Covesi, or, in Cyprus, Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides.
In all cases, these dismissals are justified by the "corrective" instinct of the deep state. Recently, Greece's Supreme Court filed away the country’s phone-tapping scandal, shielding Prime Minister Mitsotakis. Similarly, Michaelides was ousted for "inappropriate" conduct. His crime? Overstepping the boundaries of his role and “disparaging” the Legal Service.
In the power struggle between the Attorney General and the Auditor General, the former won, unsurprisingly. As a former minister under Anastasiades, the current Attorney General was firmly entrenched within the political elite, making Michaelides’ dismissal all but inevitable.
Competent Behavior or Conformity?
The Supreme Court’s ruling has revealed what is considered "appropriate" behavior for high-ranking officials: sticking to their narrowly defined roles without overstepping boundaries, and certainly without criticizing other institutions. Criticism is considered dangerous “populism,” according to the court.
In an ideal, Platonic world, this would be fine. But what about when institutions don’t function as they should in reality? What happens when the U.S. president misleads the public about the Vietnam War? What is an honest official supposed to do when the Cypriot government illegally issues half of its passports under a corrupt scheme, or when the Ministry of Defense hides evidence of bribery with the help of the Attorney General?
In America, Daniel Ellsberg, a conscientious public servant, leaked the Pentagon Papers and exposed the truth about the Vietnam War. In Cyprus, Odysseas Michaelides revealed the corruption lurking beneath the surface.
A truly conscientious public official understands that they cannot simply follow the rigid contours of their job description. If they truly care about the public good, they adapt to the circumstances and take risks. They understand that sticking too closely to the rules may sometimes undermine the greater good. So, they speak out, they inform the public, and they challenge authority, even at great personal risk.
In the face of this, the deep state’s response is simple: "Comply." They fixate on minor infractions while ignoring the bigger picture.
And so, we move on to the next chapter.
*Mr. Haridimos Tsoukas (www.htsoukas.com) is a Professor at the University of Cyprus and a Corresponding Member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.
[This op-ed was translated from its Greek original]
