According to an announcement by the Presidency of the Republic, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, exercising the powers granted to him by the Constitution, decided to make the following changes to the composition of the members of the Government:
- Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Evanthia Tsolaki (replacing Alexis Vafeades)
Evanthia Tsolaki is a lawyer, member of the Council of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and former Municipal Councilor of Limassol.
She is the daughter of Dr. Frederick and Despina Tsolaki, née Komodiki.
Tsolaki is a graduate of the Practical Branch of the Laniteion Lyceum B'.
She holds a Law Degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Open University of Cyprus.
Tsolaki currently works as a lawyer at the Law Firm of George L. Savvides & Co. LLP.
She served as a Limassol Municipal Councilor for three consecutive terms (2002 – 2016).
During her term of office, she served as President and Member of several Committees, most notably assuming the Presidency of the Social Welfare Committee of the Municipality of Limassol for two consecutive terms (2007 – 2016).
Since 2019, Tsolaki has been a Member of the Council of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Christos Senekis (replacing Maria Panayiotou)
Christos Senekis served as a DIKO MP in the Famagusta constituency for the period 2021 - 2026.
He was born in Larnaca, on 6 October, 1977. He comes from occupied Achna, Famagusta and is married to Fotini Hatzitofi from occupied Lysi, Famagusta.
Regarding his academic background, Senekis is a lawyer, a graduate of the Department of Law of the University of Athens, an internationalist, a graduate of the Department of International, European and Regional Studies of Panteion University, a graduate of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Athens, as well as a holder of a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cyprus.
- Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Tina Pavlou (replacing Clea Papaellina, who is moving to the Deputy Ministry of Culture)
Since 1998, Tina Pavlou has served as Clinical Director of Agia Skepi, the largest drug rehabilitation organization in Cyprus. There, she developed and implemented all the therapeutic programs, which over the years have evolved into six integrated structures: for adults, women (and mothers with young children), adolescents, families, admission preparation and social reintegration.
Her participation in the formulation of the national addiction strategy began in 2000, through her work on the Board of Directors of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority, where she served for five consecutive terms.
At the same time, during the period 2011–2016, Pavlou taught at the University of Nicosia in postgraduate programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology.
Her experience was also utilised in state institutions. In 2014, she was appointed to the Prisons Council, while in the period 2016–2022, she served for two terms on the Parole Board, following an appointment by the President of the Republic.
In the field of education, Pavlou served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Junior and Senior School (2020–2023).
Her academic career began in the United States. She is a graduate of Psychology from Macalester College in Minnesota and holds a Master's Degree in Family Therapy from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In the early years of her career, she worked as a family therapist in the Department of Human Services, Child and Family Services of the Washington, DC government, before returning to Cyprus to dedicate herself to her community.
Together with her husband George Pastellas, she has 4 children.
- Deputy Minister of Culture, Clea Papaellina (replacing Vasiliki Kassianidou)
Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina was born in Nicosia in 1967, and is originally from the occupied Karavas of the Kyrenia province.
She completed her Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, in Physical Education. She obtained the title Master of Arts (M.A.) in Physical Education from California State University Chico with distinction. As a scholar of the Greek State Scholarship Foundation, she completed her doctoral thesis with honors at the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens.
Papaellina was a permanent member of the Special Educational Staff, at the Department of Educational Sciences of the University of Cyprus, in the subject of Physical Education.
She has distinguished and long-standing involvement in issues related to Olympism, Olympic Education and Sports Administration, with long-term voluntary contribution and participation in important committees in Cyprus and abroad.
Papaellina is a Member of the Executive Board of the European Olympic Academies (EOA) and a Member of the Development Committee of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS).
She served as Vice-President of the "Culture and Education" Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), Member of the Culture and Education Committee of the International Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Member and President of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO), Dean of the Cyprus National Olympic Academy, Member of the Executive Board of the Cyprus Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Member of the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervisory Authority.
In April 2024, Papaellina was appointed by the President of the Republic as President of the VOICE Council, a position he held until recently.
On December 8, 2025, he was appointed by the President of the Republic as Deputy Minister of Social Welfare.
She is married to Christos A. Papaellinas and has a son, Andreas.
The President of the Republic also decided on the following appointments:
- Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare, Elias Myrianthos
- Citizen's Commissioner Irene Pogiatzis
- Director of the Office of the President of the Republic , Panagiotis Palates.
The confirmation and appointment ceremony will take place on Thursday, 6 August, 2026, at 9.30 a.m. at the Presidential Palace.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
