The Plenary of the House of Representatives on Thursday approved the abolition of the ban on filling vacant first appointment positions in the public and wider public sector, effectively ending the longstanding unfreezing process that had been in place until now. The bill was supported by 25 MPs, while 9 MPs (DISY) voted against it.

With the passing of the “Abolishing Law of 2025 on the Prohibition of Filling Vacant Positions in the Public and Wider Public Sector (Special Provisions),” a restriction introduced in 2013 during the economic crisis is officially lifted.

According to data from the Ministry of Finance, the total number of approved positions under the 2025 state budget amounts to 38,803, of which 26,516 are first appointment positions. Currently, there are 3,326 vacant first appointment positions, with 1,775 of them already unfrozen.

AKEL MP Andreas Kavkalias stated that his party believes permanent public sector positions should be filled by permanent employees, not through non-transparent procedures or outsourcing, which ultimately costs the taxpayer more. He also noted that employing temporary staff is not a sustainable solution. Kavkalias pointed out that these positions are already included in the state budget and challenged DISY to recall its voting record while in government, claiming that their arguments now lack credibility.

DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou said the figures speak for themselves, pointing out that the bill concerns only 970 first appointments in the public service, not larger numbers as some feared. She added that the legislation removes any excuse from public services claiming to be understaffed and called for further reforms in the civil service. She also mentioned that the number of temporary staff increased by 8,000 between 2016 and 2021.

Marinos Mousiouttas, MP for DIPA, stressed that Parliament never exercised the right to prohibit filling any position. However, the process was labyrinthine and bureaucratic, leading to delays. He noted that parliamentary oversight of these positions is also exercised through the state budget, which has already been approved.

EDEK President Marinos Sizopoulos stated that filling public sector positions is a necessary step. He added that there is excessive bureaucracy in many public services that must be eliminated. He proposed linking salary increases and the Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) to the productivity of each department.

AKEL MP Aristos Damianou criticized DISY for rejecting a bill it once promoted while in government. He accused the party of inflating clientelism through public hiring, and now attempting to present itself as a champion of good governance.

DISY MP Harris Georgiades said that while they have supported some government economic policies in the past, in this case their disagreement is fundamental. He claimed that under the current government, the public sector will see the largest expansion in size and cost in Cyprus’s history. By 2027, he noted, the annual public payroll will have risen to €2 billion — an increase compared to what the current administration inherited. In contrast, the total payroll increase during the previous government’s ten years was €430 million.

Green MP Stavros Papadouris said the party would support the bill to avoid depriving the government of the ability to carry out its mandate, adding that everyone will ultimately be judged on the outcome — including the current government.