A large crowd gathered outside the Presidential Palace on Sunday afternoon to protest against corruption, in a demonstration organized by AKEL–Left–Social Alliance, with participation from the Movement of Ecologists–Citizens' Cooperation and the Independent Citizens' Initiative. The event, titled "Against the System of Corruption and Cover-ups," aimed to protest the dismissal of Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides and, more broadly, to respond to systemic corruption.

Protesters carried signs with slogans such as "We Defend the State and Democracy," "The Fish Rots from the Head—No Tolerance for Corruption," "Against the System of Corruption and Cover-ups," "Odysseas, You Were Too Proud for Their Small Minds," "Unanimous Blindness is Justice," and "Corrupt Government, Corrupt Prosecutors, and Judges—Leave Now." Others chanted slogans, including "Enough with Corruption," "The Attorney General Must Resign," and "Shame."

The event was attended by AKEL Members of Parliament, among others, with speeches delivered by AKEL Parliamentary Representative Giorgos Loukaides, President of the Movement of Ecologists–Citizens' Cooperation Giorgos Perdikis, Melanie Steliou on behalf of the Social Alliance, and Andrianos Charalambous on behalf of the Independent Citizens' Initiative.

Meanwhile, EDEK announced its withdrawal from the event, citing a violation of its original purpose. EDEK stated, "What was supposed to be a non-partisan event, beyond and above political parties, turned into a partisan and anti-government demonstration, exploiting the desire of most citizens, regardless of party affiliation, to end the impunity that allows corruption to spread."

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Speaking for the Social Alliance, Melanie Steliou said that "after a series of scandals, we have now reached the scandal of the Auditor General's dismissal." She pointed out, "Despite the fact that the Supreme Court acknowledged that Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides did his job correctly, he was dismissed for inappropriate behavior." Steliou criticized the inaction of the Attorney General's Office in addressing major scandals, saying, "Instead of investigating the institution that failed to do its job, they expelled the person who revealed the truth. How long will we continue to watch this country descend into the mire of corruption?"

Andrianos Charalambous noted that this was not merely a personal conflict between Giorgos Savvides and Odysseas Michaelides, but rather "the takeover of the only functioning independent institution capable of holding the government accountable, by the government itself." He said that the removal of the Auditor General and the weakening of the Audit Office represents a major blow to the supposed efforts to combat corruption and complicity in Cyprus. Charalambous added that the rule of law is a cornerstone of every modern democracy, with the separation of powers and independent functioning of institutions as vital components. "This is what we, as citizens, demand," he said.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is closely monitoring developments regarding the Audit Office's access to information, the institution's reform, as well as the separation of powers and accountability within the Legal Service, according to a spokesperson for the Commission, Jördis Ferroli.

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Regarding the dismissal itself, Ferroli noted that "the Commission does not comment on national court decisions."

When asked whether restricted access to information affected the Audit Office's ability to conduct effective audits, Ferroli explained that "the 2024 Rule of Law Report notes that limited access to relevant information hinders the Audit Office's ability to effectively audit public entities."

"The report was published in July and reflects developments in Cyprus. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation and provide an updated assessment in its 2025 report," she added.

On the powers of the Attorney General and accountability within the Legal Service, Ferroli remarked, "The 2024 Rule of Law Report noted some progress in strengthening the independence of the Legal Service, as the government is in the process of drafting legislation to separate the advisory and prosecutorial functions of the Attorney General."

In response to questions about the Audit Office's reform, the spokesperson emphasized that "the Commission will continue to closely monitor developments in Cyprus, including the planned reform of the Audit Office, as part of the preparation for the 2025 Rule of Law Report."