In a significant move towards reforming state expenditure, the Cypriot House of Representatives is poised to vote on legislation that would dismantle a decades-old system of lifelong benefits for former presidents and parliamentary speakers. The proposed law, which has cleared a key parliamentary committee, seeks to replace perpetual entitlements with a strictly time-limited framework, marking a profound shift in the post-tenure treatment of the nation’s highest officials.
The existing framework, established by legislation in 1988, has long guaranteed former officeholders a comprehensive suite of state-funded privileges for life. These have traditionally included a chauffeured vehicle, security detail, and allowances for fuel and maintenance, alongside provision for a personal secretary. The new draft law, however, redefines these entitlements as transitional rather than permanent, arguing that the trappings of public office should conclude with the term of service.
The initiative originated from a proposal jointly submitted by House President Annita Demetriou and independent MP Alexandra Attalides. It has since been shaped by the House Institutions Committee, which advanced a version setting specific new limits. Under the committee’s proposal, the provision of an official car with a driver and bodyguards would be restricted to a period of five years following an individual’s departure from office. Furthermore, all associated fuel and maintenance allowances would be entirely abolished. The sole lifetime benefit retained in this draft is the allowance for hiring a secretary.
Proponents frame the change as both a necessary fiscal rationalization and a matter of democratic principle. They contend that indefinite perks represent an anachronistic burden on public finances and distort the nature of civic duty. Independent MP Alexandra Attalides, a central figure in the effort, articulated this stance clearly, stating, "Democracy should not be equated with the unconditional and conditional granting of privileges. The concept of public office ends with tenure, not death."
However, the proposed reform is not without internal dissent, even from its architects. Attalides has publicly expressed reservations about the committee’s decision to preserve the secretary allowance indefinitely. "It became clear that some people want to maintain the allowance for a secretary for life. I disagree with this," she noted. She has announced her intention to submit amendments during the upcoming plenary debate, aiming to limit the secretary benefit to five years and to stipulate that all such privileges cease if a former official assumes another significant public role.
The impending plenary vote will determine the final shape of the legislation. If passed in its current form, the impact would be substantial: former leaders would see their lifetime access to state transport and security severed, receiving those supports only during a half-decade transition to private life. This would translate into tangible, long-term savings for the state treasury. The debate underscores a broader re-evaluation of political culture in Cyprus, balancing respect for former service against contemporary expectations of austerity and equitable governance. The outcome will signal the parliament’s commitment to modernizing the institutions of the republic.