Alpha News

“The Audit Office checks, it doesn’t execute”: Christodoulides’ concerns about energy and Papakonstantinou’s response

Published February 18, 2026, 17:22

The Auditor General of the Republic, Odysseas Papakonstantinou, after submitting the Annual Report to the President of the Republic, referred to concerns regarding delays in important energy projects, such as Vasiliko and the electricity cable. He emphasized that the Audit Office has a role of control and highlighting problems, not execution, and that the responsibility for solving the problems lies with the competent services. Mr. Papakonstantinou expressed the view that the situation in Vasiliko is unacceptable and that, although the President has initiated some actions, they were not discussed in detail during the meeting. The Auditor General stated that the Service is in a period of intense change with the aim of increasing productivity and efficiency. He predicted a possible increase in the number of reports in 2026 and stressed the need to address problems in certain state services that hinder the functioning of the state. Furthermore, Mr. Papakonstantinou expressed concern about the inconvenience to citizens from certain services, citing the Land Registry as an example, where delays of 7-10 years are observed. He underlined that there are ways and tools to improve efficiency and reduce delays. Finally, the Auditor General announced the introduction of quality controls and sudden, unannounced inspections, such as the one carried out at the First Aid Department, with the aim of better understanding the prevailing conditions and improving the service provided. The report on the First Aid Department will be published soon.