The justice ministry on Monday said it wished to “categorically refute” a report published on the front page of newspaper Haravgi which fiercely criticised the government’s record on corruption, based on the European Commission’s annual country report on Cyprus, released in June.

The newspaper wrote that Cyprus is “collapsing institutionally, politically, and socially”, and that the government is “failing miserably to shield the rule of law, to crack down on corruption, and to restore people’s confidence”.

It then referred to data from Eurobarometer surveys, which found that just 21 per cent of Cypriots trust their government, that 96 per cent of companies consider that corruption is widespread, that 72 per cent of companies consider that corruption is a problem when doing business, and that just 10 per cent of companies believe that those caught bribing a senior official are appropriately punished.

The justice ministry’s response was based on the European Commission’s annual rule of law report, which was released in July, though the ministry also appeared to believe that this was the basis of Haravgi’s article.

It said the newspaper had “presented certain elements in fragments so as to reach arbitrary conclusions” and added that it is “extremely problematic” that the newspaper had “presented as news a report which was published about a month ago”.

On this point, it added that it had already “issued a relevant announcement, expressing satisfaction with the European Commission’s findings.

“The press has the right to make interpretations and findings, but it has the obligation to present the facts objectively as they are, without intending or attempting to manipulate public opinion with misleading information,” it said.

The most recent annual country report was released on June 4 and documents economic performance, adaptation to climate change, social policies, education system, health policies and use of European Union funds.

Haravgi’s report was based mostly on the report’s ‘Annex 6’, which outlined monitoring of Cyprus’ “institutional framework”.

The annual rule of law report is a separate report, the most recent edition of which was released on July 8.

That report focused largely on Cyprus’ efforts to reform its legal service and encouraged it to “further advance” those efforts.

It wrote that the reform is being carried out “with the goal of providing a clearer distinction between the advisory and the prosecutorial functions of the attorney-general”.

“With the reform, the attorney-general maintains its role as legal adviser of the state and head of the legal service, while the powers relating to the prosecution are transferred to the new institution of the director of public prosecutions [DPP],” it said.

Overall, it said “some further progress” has been made towards the planned reforms to the legal service in the last year and added that those reforms will “provide a clearer distinction between the advisory and prosecutorial functions of the attorney-general”.

Looking ahead to the coming year, it recommended that Cyprus “further advance with the ongoing reform of the legal service and the establishment of the office of the DPP”, while also calling for the legal service to “establish an effective review of decisions not to prosecute or to discontinue proceedings”.

The government submitted a bill to parliament last monthwhich, if passed, will enact the planned reform, establishing the position of a DPP and a deputy.

If the bill passes, the attorney-general will remain as the state’s legal adviser and the head of the legal service, while the DPP and their deputy will undertake the attorney-general’s current responsibilities relating to public prosecutions.

Thebill also foresees that all four roles will be limited to a single eight-year term. All will be required to retire either at the end of the term or on their 68th birthday, whichever is soonest.

If passed by parliament, the new law will come into force on December 1, 2027, with the exception of the term limit provision, which will come into force when the constitution is amended to allow it.