By Penelope Galliou

“What can’t be solved, is cut” is said to have exclaimed Alexander the Great when he cut the Gordian bond. For the Greek state, the establishment non-state universities it has been a “Gordian link” for too many years, intractable, since as many times as the revision of the Constitution has attempted to change the relevant and controversial article 16, it has been impossible to find the increased majority needed for this purpose, each time referring the supporters of the next review.

However, at the given time – and with the expressed will of the government in the next revision to attempt the revision of the relevant article 16 of the Constitution – came the European Court of Justice, to act as the “sword” that cut the specific “Gordian bond”. According to the Minister of State Makis Voridis, this is a decision of the European court, which connects the operation of Universities that are interconnected with Universities abroad and includes them within the framework of the freedom of economic activity within the EU. A decision, which according to him, opened the way for the operation of non-state universities in our country as well, as according to the EU Treaty, it takes precedence over the Constitution of each country.

Under these circumstances and presenting her legislative initiative of the government regarding the operation of branches of foreign universities in our country, in the Council of Ministers, the prime minister described the reform as historic, which will make Greece a center for attracting students. “Our priority and I want to emphasize it again is the public University. Non-state universities come to correct a historical educational misspelling. And this is because we remain one of the few countries on the planet that continue to erect such walls in education”.

The government’s goal is to have its initiative passed and become law of the state within January, seeking the maximum possible consensus that can be achieved from the opposition parties. In fact, Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the parties to prove that they are progressive. “A first but very fundamental step on the road to revising Article 16 in a way that will now respond to the realities of the 21st century. The dialogue that will follow will therefore be of great interest to see who is in action and not in words who is the truly progressive, the truly modernizing” he emphasized.

For the time being, however, the government’s new educational reform meets with the opposition’s refusal, which questions the government’s intentions for the simultaneous upgrade of the public University as well as for the respect of the Constitution. The exception seems to be for now PASOKwhich, through their president Nikos Androulakis, appeared open but setting specific conditions.

THE representative of SYRIZA Dora Avgeri he spoke of the Prime Minister’s dangerous games with the Constitution, adding that the Prime Minister’s reports that the public university is his first priority “while for almost five years he has been doing everything to discredit it” are hypocritical. “Mr. Mitsotakis wants the Greek university to be neither public nor free. He has no concern for public education, just as he has no concern for public health. To speculate specific businessmen want. Everything is a business for Mr. Mitsotakis,” said Ms. Augeri.

The framework of the conditions set by PASOK in order to support the bill for non-state universities, was described by the president of the party, Nikos Androulakis. He clarified, however, that if New Democracy finally brings a bill which undermines the public “and trades the degrees through a private and speculative market without criteria, then we will be negative” he emphasized while setting as PASOK’s priority the “strengthening of the public university, which concerns millions of Greeks and not only the few”, as mentioned by Mr. Androulakis.

As far as the rest of the opposition parties are concerned, they are against the government’s new legislative initiative. In particular, the KKE characterizes the government’s plan for non-state universities as a “challenge” and an “attack on the rights of the youth” and as Perissos points out in his statement, the government’s announcements “hit the value of the degree, strengthen the commercialization of education, while access to university education is judged even more by each family’s “wallet”.

Against the bill were also placed, Greek Solution, New Left and Freedom Sailingwith Zoe Konstantopoulou arguing that “Article 16 of the Constitution prohibits the establishment of private universities” and the government cannot exceed it.