Lawyer, reformer, former Minister of Health, and now Member of Parliament, Dr. George Pamboridis has spent a lifetime in the unforgiving glare of public life. Yet, behind the political headlines and the formidable CV stands a man who begins his day with a brisk five-kilometre run and unwinds to the roar of a motorcycle engine.
“Who is this fat, bald guy I’m looking at?”
My eyes widen in surprise – I had just asked George Pamboridis what his younger self would think if he could see the man standing before me today. That was his answer.
Recently elected to the House of Representatives for the Nicosia district, Pamboridis is no political novice. He carries the seasoned gravitas of someone who has already reshaped the nation’s healthcare system, and it shows. An early riser, he wakes at six, hitting the pavement for his daily run whilst tuning into the early morning political radio shows. Politics, it seems, does not just occupy his time; it flows in his veins.
By 8:30 am, he is at his desk. As he settles into his chair and starts work, he confesses that there is no such thing as a typical day. Almost on cue, his gaze drifts back to his phone. Intrigued, I ask whether his relationship with the device is healthy or unhealthy.
“Unhealthy!” he shoots back, completely unabashed. He is clearly not a man who compromises on the truth. There is an unfiltered, direct honesty to him; a sense that whatever I pry into, I will get the raw, unvarnished reality. This is a man who made his childhood dreams a reality, having aspired to enter politics since he was a boy. When asked how he would describe the politician sitting before me, his answer is precise: “Demanding, meticulous and methodical.”
His most challenging role to date was his tenure as Minister of Health, during which he spearheaded the introduction of the National Health System (GeSY). Public office, he admits, taught him a lesson that private legal practice never could. “It is not enough to do the right thing,” he reflects, choosing his words with care. “You have to constantly prove – especially to your harshest critics – that you are not making a mistake.”
His ambition for his current parliamentary term, he explains, remains deeply human. He makes it clear that he will consider his time in Parliament a success if he manages to improve the life of even a single person. I ask whether he approaches the house as a lawyer, a reformer or a negotiator –three distinct threads that have woven his career together. He pauses, looking up from his laptop. “All of these are aspects of my character. There is a symbiosis; they work together. I cannot separate them, so I approach the role with all three.”
A sharp knock at the door briefly breaks our stride as a colleague seeks his guidance. As I watch him interact, it is evident that Pamboridis is a man who has fiercely drawn the line between what matters and what doesn’t. Indeed, he possesses a strict, unyielding rule against bringing work into his home.
“If you don’t realise that the most valuable things in life exist outside any professional and material achievements, then you don’t know what life is about,” he says, looking me straight in the eye. “It’s a matter of choice. You choose to live.”
Driven by his directness, I push a little further, asking for the best and most challenging aspect of his personality. “My ADHD!” he replies instantly, without a hint of hesitation about mentioning Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
As the conversation shifts to family, he openly admits to being hands-on with domestic chores, though he adds with a laugh, “I am useless!” Yet his eyes truly light up when the talk turns to how he escapes the pressures of work. “My motorcycle, speedboating and football,” he fires off in a single breath. To unwind, he seeks the tranquility of the Pedieos river, though his cultural tastes lean towards the cinematic grit of The Godfather, the comfort of Friends and the energy of rock music. An avid reader, he also tells me that he has just finished Six More Minutes by Cypriot author Stavros Christodoulou.
His phone rings yet again. Watching him answer, I observe the absolute concentration he offers to anyone who asks for his time. But the clock is ticking; he must leave for Parliament. Sensing the minutes slipping away, I try to ask everything at once, begging for his patience. He grants it with a graceful smile.
“One last question”, I promise, as we exit the office and walk towards his parked motorcycle. Does he have any unfulfilled dreams or ambitions left to achieve?
He mounts the bike, looks back and smiles. “To see my kids become happy!”
With a wave, he startles the quiet morning air into life and rides away.
(Photos by TASPHO)
This interview first appeared in the 2026 edition of The Cyprus Journal of Wealth Management. Click here to view it.
