**Cabinet to Discuss Changes in Police Protection for High-Ranking Politicians**
The Cabinet of Cyprus is set to convene next week to deliberate on proposed changes to the police protection provided to high-ranking politicians. This discussion arises in light of the recent changes in the composition of parliament following the elections in May, as well as a desire from Justice Minister Costas Fitiris to modernize the current police protection services.
Currently, the House president, Annita Demetriou, is assigned a police entourage of ten officers. Initially, upon her election to the role in 2021, she was assigned eight officers but later requested a reduction to five. Additionally, she opted not to have a second police vehicle and requested that her assigned vehicle not be equipped with blue lights. However, following an alarming email suggesting a potential assassination attempt against her, the number of officers assigned to her protection was increased back to ten, which now also includes security for her residence.
Other political leaders have varying levels of police protection. Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou and Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos each have four officers assigned to them. Edek leader Nikos Anastasiou currently has three officers. Leaders of smaller parties, including Elam's Christos Christou, Dipa's Marios Garoyian, and former House presidents Demetris Syllouris and Yiannakis Omirou, as well as Archbishop Georgios, are each protected by two officers.
Former President Nicos Anastasiades enjoys the highest level of protection, with a detail of twelve officers, and his residence in Limassol is under continuous police surveillance. Former first ladies Elsa Christofia and Androulla Vassiliou are provided with one officer each, while Fotini Papadopoulou, another former first lady, renounced her police protection in 2011.
As the Cabinet prepares for its upcoming meeting, it is anticipated that police protection will also be extended to Alma leader Odysseas Michaelides and Direct Democracy Cyprus leader Fidias Panayiotou. However, special provisions may be necessary for Panayiotou, who is a sitting member of the European Parliament and spends a significant amount of time in Brussels.
The recent electoral changes have prompted shifts in security assignments. With Elam increasing its representation from four to eight seats, it is expected that Christou will see his protection detail doubled from two to four officers. Conversely, Anastasiou is likely to lose his police protection due to Edek's loss of all its parliamentary seats. Although Dipa has also lost its representation, Garoyian will retain his police protection due to his status as a former House president.
In a noteworthy shift, the Ecologists’ Movement leader Stavros Papadouris did not have police protection prior to the elections, as the party had previously requested in 2020 that its leaders not be assigned police security.
In a move that reflects a broader trend towards modernization, Justice Minister Fitiris has reportedly requested that his own 24-hour home protection be replaced with smart CCTV cameras. This suggestion has led to discussions about the possibility of reducing police protection for other current and former state officials in favor of technological security measures.
As the Cabinet prepares to address these issues, the outcomes of the discussions could significantly alter the landscape of police protection for politicians in Cyprus, balancing the need for security with modern approaches to safety and resource allocation.