All the opposition parties voted against the bill in principle, except the Spartans who declared “present”
Only with the votes of the ND and the former MP of the Spartans and now an independent, Charalambos Katsivardas, was the bill passed that circumvents Article 16 of the Constitution by establishing private universities amid fierce reactions both inside and outside the Parliament. The bill passed with 159 yes votes, 129 no votes and 11 present votes.
All the opposition parties voted against the bill in principle, except the Spartans who declared themselves “present”. At the same time, in the roll-call vote on the articles, SYRIZA and PASOK voted in favor of articles related to public universities. Specifically, the official opposition voted “yes” on 6 articles and the amendment on the student housing allowance, 131 voted against and declared “present” on 46.
Before the floor of the Parliament o Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke of a “radical cut in Greek education and a brave reform of development but also of social justice, claiming that “the foundation of this reform is the restructuring and strengthening of the public university”. Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, among other things, that with the possibility of establishing and operating “non-state, non-profit branches of international universities” – as the government characterizes them – the obvious goal in our country is “to stop tens of thousands of Greek children from leaving every year to study outside the borders spending precious foreign exchange and precious resources outside the country. Another goal, he said, is for educational organizations to invest in Greece and with their expertise to help the overall development of education.”
“Colleges have a lot of money, Mr. Mitsotakis” stressed the president of the SYRIZA-PS parliamentary group Sokratis Famellos from the floor of the Parliament during the discussion of the bill, adding that “you are doing all this so that some funds and your cronies can profit”. Picking up the gauntlet thrown down by the prime minister with the criticisms against SYRIZA and St. Kasselakis, pointedly wondered if Mr. Mitsotakis studied at a public university, while he recalled that the first time he “met” with the prime minister’s career was in his capacity as the chairman of the Inquiry into the “offshore loans” of parties and the media, specifically when he came across in the unpaid loan of millions of “Kyrykas Chania”.
On the occasion of her violation of Article 16, the president of SYRIZA’s KO reminded and again asked for answers about the wiretapping scandal and the export of the Predator by the current director of the ND, Mr. Smyrlis, while he pointed out the cover-up of the responsibilities of Karamanlis and Triandopoulos in the Investigation for the crime of Tempos, as well as and the obfuscation in relation to the scavenging of the scene of the tragedy.
During his appeal, Sokratis Famellos fired at the government, demanding clear answers. “First question, since Mr prime minister was saying in 2019 that a revision of the Constitution is required to become private universities, what has changed now and you are proceeding unconstitutionally with the establishment of private universities; No one has answered us. We say that there is a lot of money, the profits of colleges and funds. Find another answer, but give an answer,” he pointed out.
«The answer cannot be the opinions of three constitutional experts, while there are others, ten, for example, opinions to the contrary. This is not an answer. You represent an institution, you represent the state. Legislation does not depend on opinions. What changed that you couldn’t and now you can? Specifically, however, tell us what has changed,” stressed the president of the SYRIZA-PS Committee of the Communist Party.
Addressing the Minister of Education, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Sokratis Famellos asked him “why not delicensing the hybrid schools you want to create, the private universities – the top colleges, rather, better definition this – when all these violations that I mentioned in my first speech are found? Curriculum, educational status, building, awarding of degrees, i.e. will someone secretly grant degrees and let them operate? Will you vote for this?’
And he added among other things: “Why is it allowed, with the payment for service provision and franchising rights, the transfer of profits to the parent for-profit company? It is therefore a for-profit activity, since the parent company remains for-profit. Answer us the “why” question. No one has answered us. The profits will be transferred to foreign companies, they will not even stay in Greece”.
Continuing, Sokratis Famellos emphasized thatthe prime minister “came to present us his own reading”. “Yes, but we asked questions. And you know the prime minister is obliged to answer the questions” he pointed out and added among other things:
“Of course he told us – and I noted it, because the approach is incredible – that he does not degrade the public university and offers quality free education. With thirty-seven fewer divisions, with forty-one thousand fewer admissions and with the logic that whoever cannot enter the university – because that’s what he says – there will be an alternative. Yes, if he has money. If it doesn’t have? Close the remaining sections. So, even for those who can’t get into the public university, a back door is created where if you don’t have money, you don’t get in. Is this a fair policy? Why; To make money for any fund that comes to invest? Because it will make money, don’t hide. They are not making this investment for charity.”
Stefanos Kasselakis: ND’s unconstitutional business with supermarket universities
“For us, for SYRIZA, the higher education is not up for grabs. It is the foundation for the future of our Greece” emphasized Stefanos Kasselakis and launched a fierce attack on the Mitsotakis government.
The president of SYRIZA – PS quoted them five sentences of the official opposition for public universities:
1. Doubling the teaching staff in order to reach the EU average in the teacher-student ratio.
2. “Heat everywhere” program. Construction of student residences financed by public revenue from the short-term rental sector.
3. Doubling the funds given to universities for research.
Because without research, the university cannot be connected to the labor market.
4. Rent deduction for student housing from taxable income.
-For leases up to €500.
-For family income up to €60,000.
-Beneficiaries: 150,000 families.
-Fiscal cost: €225,000,000.
5. Creation of self-governing pillars of foreign university programs within Greek universities. This is how prestigious universities will come to Greece.
At the same time, he emphasized that “abroad, educational institutions are a very serious matter, with huge funds and a very strict legislative framework. It’s not her unconstitutional business set up by the ND with universities – supermarkets which grant franchise degrees’.
Stefanos Kasselakis’ post in detail:
“Why not have private universities?” you may ask.
“You don’t enter the public sector, you go to the private sector. More chances!”
But when the government cuts places from the public university so that you don’t get in, so that you are forced to go to the private one paying, then you have fewer opportunities.
When Greece is last in the EU in teacher-student ratio, then you have fewer opportunities.
When higher education funding 15 years ago was 380 million euros and now 126, then you have fewer opportunities.
When regional universities close and cities are deserted, then you have fewer opportunities.
A modern state is judged by the level of Education it provides to its citizens.
And private individuals who want to contribute can do so by donating to public universities, not by making private ones.
Our own suggestions – note them down!
1. Doubling the teaching staff in order to reach the EU average in the teacher-student ratio.
2. “Heat everywhere” program. Construction of student residences financed by public revenue from the short-term rental sector.
3. Doubling the funds given to universities for research. Because without research, the university cannot be connected to the labor market.
4. Rent deduction for student housing from taxable income. -For leases up to €500. -For family income up to €60,000. -Beneficiaries: 150,000 families. -Financial cost: €225,000,000.
5. Creation of self-governing pillars of foreign university programs within Greek universities. This is how prestigious universities will come to Greece.
As you may know, I studied in America, at a private university, on a scholarship.
“Then why are you against the bill?”, you ask.
The answer is simple:
Abroad, educational institutions are a very serious business, with huge funds and a very strict legislative framework.
This is not the unconstitutional business that ND is setting up with universities – supermarkets that grant franchise degrees.
For us, for SYRIZA, higher education is not up for grabs.
It is the foundation for the future of our Greece.
Alexis Tsipras: Another step in the downward spiral of the systematic discrediting of the Constitution
An all-out attack on the Mitsotakis government regarding the bill on private universities was launched by Alexis Tsipras, stressing that “this is another opportunity for speculation of other interests”. The former president of SYRIZA – PS and former prime minister underlined, in a related statement, that “the Mitsotakis government is attempting a reactionary revenge today. Legislates the possibility of establishing for-profit private universities, bypassing the spirit and letter of the Constitution. Really, why for so many years, since the beginning of the nineties, while the ND has consistently supported the establishment of private universities, has it never occurred to them to proceed or propose their legislation, without the revision of Article 16?”
And he emphasized, among other things: “Today they discovered that the Constitution is not an obstacle? Obviously not. This is another step in the downward spiral of systematic discrediting of institutions, even the Constitution itself, by a government which every time he is abandoned for this, he simply answers that he was elected with 41%”.
