Deputy ministry of culture admits to social media post blunder

Another government blunder occurred on Thursday, as social media lit up over an official post made by the deputy ministry of culture about Deputy Minister Michalis Hatzigiannis attending a politician’s birthday party.

As confirmed to the Cyprus Mail by the ministry, a post from the deputy ministry saying that Hatzigiannis attended Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos’ birthday party did indeed get posted, but by accident.

Information from the ministry, said that it was posted by mistake, as the team that operates the ministry’s social media account, also helps with the social media of the deputy minister.

“Hatzigiannis is in the habit, due to his many years as an artist, of uploading snapshots of many of his relevant activities to his personal accounts on social media,” an official statement said.

In the announcement, which has since been removed, the ministry said that Hatzigiannis attended Papadopoulos’ party.

“The deputy ministry had a special surprise for the president [Papadopoulos] by singing him happy birthday and other songs on the piano,” the announcement, which is making rounds on social media said.

The post has gone viral, with pundits commenting on the seriousness of President Nikos Christodoulides’ government.

Even former finance minister Constantinos Petrides weighed in, saying on his social media that he also went to birthday parties, but he did not make the ministry release statements about it.

Και εγώ πήγαινα σε γενέθλια αλλά δεν έβγαζε ανακοινώσεις το Υπουργείο! Χρόνια πολλά πάντως 🎉🎂 pic.twitter.com/NSDa8QjTWK

— ConstantinosPetrides (@Petrides_C) April 20, 2023

Another pundit on Twitter said he made a list of all the blunders ministers in Christodoulides’ government have made in its first 50 days in power.

It included Hatzigiannis’ post on the official ministry social media account to promote the birthday of Papadopoulos and the most recent blunder –  the appointment of Michalis Michael, to the public service commission Edy, who had bought his university degrees online.

https://twitter.com/kknstnta/status/1649002716805443584?s=20

A further tweet from Panayiotis Pentaliotis asked if members of other ministries also made appearances at birthday parties.

Κάμνουν περιοδεία και άλλα Υπουργεία σε γενέθλια;@GovCyprus

— Pentaliotis Panayiotis (@pentaliotis) April 20, 2023

Hatzigiannis also posted a similar post to the one that appeared on the official social media, on his personal account.

However, on his personal account the deputy minister added: “Nicholas and Yiota [his wife] Papadopoulos stole the show with their dance that they shared with us.”

The political initiative ‘Famagusta for Cyprus’ said that the posts were disappointing.

“The government of Nikos Christodoulides had plenty of time to prove that it will govern with responsibility and seriousness. Unfortunately, so far it has done the exact opposite and only confirms our concerns, by further ridiculing the institutions,” the initiative said in a statement.

Last week, in another government blunder, the president had appointed Michael to Edy, only to have the latter quit in one day.

Social media and politicians were in an uproar over Christodoulides’ appointment as Michael appears to have been awarded a master’s from a disreputable institution that gave a degree to a cat in the past.

Michael, who was appointed to a seat on the commission responsible for overseeing the civil service and who gets a position, raises, and pensions, got his master’s degree from Trinity Southern University, and his doctorate from Canterbury University, both known as diploma mills.