By Yannis Anifantis

With sharp confrontations, rebuttals, tensions and five objections of unconstitutionality, the debate in the Parliament on the bill for the operation of branches of non-state universities in Greece began yesterday, which culminates tomorrow, Friday, with the positions of political leaderswith the Minister of Education, Kyriakos Pierrakakis to argue that the bill “is absolutely compatible with the constitutional text”.

At the heart of the political conflict remains the question of the constitutionality of the draft law, with the five objections of unconstitutionality (from SYRIZA, KKE, Hellenic Solution, New Left and Niki) being rejected by the majority and the New Left attempting to surprise the majority and the minority, inviting SYRIZA, PASOK, KKE and Pleussi Eleftherias to testify motion of no confidence against the government (a proposal that fell flat).

“The fate of this country and the fate of its people for us and for me is not the fear that some of you carry in this country as its censors. It’s about embracing the future and opening up to it”, Kyriakos Pierrakakis emphasized from the floor of the Parliament, responding to the complaints about the unconstitutionality of the bill, adding that “only we and Cuba prohibit the establishment of non-state universities” .

Earlier, the president of SYRIZA – PS, Sokratis Famellos, took the floor, arguing that “universities are not businesses, students are not customers. So Universities cannot operate as businesses. Any other interpretation is wicked”, with the Minister of Education reminding him of the attempt by the Minister of Education – during the SYRIZA government (2018) – Kostas Gavroglou, to recognize all diplomas from international organizations as completely legal: “In 2018 Gavroglou brought a provision that recognized all diplomas of international organizations located in Greece as completely legal. This was removed after a debate in the SYRIZA parliamentary group, Philis disagreed with him.”

Pyra Pierrakakis for PASOK’s stance

The sharp comments of the Minister of Education were caused by Harilaou Trikoupi’s attitude towards the bill, as despite his longstanding stance in favor of non-state non-profit universities, he is expected to vote against the bill. “For the first time in the annals that a national parliament will say that the national constitution is giving way in the face of an alleged conflict with EU law,” Panagiotis Doudonis pointed out, with Kyriakos Pierrakakis raising the glove and answering emphatically “Mr. Doudonis, it was a pleasure to hear you disagree with Mr. Venizelos and Mr. Alivizato, charma. When Mr. Androulakis said on December 20 “we will not stand in the way of the establishment of non-state, non-profit universities as long as the n/s is not at the expense of the public” he was also aware of the constitutional opinions on which the n/s is based. You are using the constitution as a fig leaf.”

The thread of the confrontation was picked up by PASOK, o Dimitris Manzos, responding to the Minister: “reading more correctly the opinion you refer to, the one who disagreed with Venizelos is you, going to the ND, now I don’t know what is more eye-opening, to see you playing Themistocles or defending Evangelos Venizelos from the position of Minister of ND?” “Your response reflects an anxiety. To cover the 5 displacements of the last two and a half months”, commented Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

The confrontation between SYRIZA and Plefsis Eleftherias is in red

However, during the debate on the objections of unconstitutionality, the President of Freedom Sailing, Zoe Konstantopoulou, pointed her arrows at SYRIZA, looking back to the era of the memorandums: “Freedom Sailing was created so that there would never be guys like Al again. Tsipras, who will make fun of the world with nice words, who will then overthrow them with words.” “Al. Tsipras is not a guy, as was heard a while ago, he was the prime minister of the country”, answered Theophilos Xanthopoulos in a strong tone.

The debate on the bill is expected to end on Friday evening with the roll-call vote following a request filed by Dionysis Kalamatianos from SYRIZA.