In response to the “sugar daddies” of the KKE leader, Dimitris Koutsoubas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis began his speech in Parliament by characterizing the report as “sexist”: “I thought you would apologize for your unacceptable sexist position, which proves that the KKE is the most anachronistic force within the hall. And don’t be so quick to accuse us of being anti-communist every time we bring up your prejudices. These things happened elsewhere, but fortunately these issues have been resolved by history.”

He went on to say: “Perhaps you imagine Greece as a communist country when you talk about women being extradited. You should have apologized I was wrong.”

During his speech, the prime minister severely criticized SYRIZA AND PASOK for their attitude. Addressing the president of the KO of SYRIZA, Socrates Famello, said: “You have a president who studied at a non-state university, at a great American university on a scholarship. If the University of Pennsylvania came, would Mr. Kasselakis say no? It’s good that Mr. Tsipras, who studied at Metsovio, says it, but should Mr. Kasselakis say it too? How is this explained? What’s a man to do? Adapted…’.

Addressing the president of PASOK Nikos Androulakis he said: I’m coming to you too, Mr. Androulakis. This is where your polyphony becomes complete nonsense and you are the protagonist of this story. Embarrassing your voters, it’s the ultimate political surrealism. The ND will request a roll call vote for all articles concerning the public university so that we are counted.”

“Key Bill”

Referring to the core of the bill, the prime minister emphasized that it is a pivotal bill, which approves a radical cut in Greek education. It is a development and social justice initiative that primarily strengthens the public university, but at the same time creates the framework for non-state non-profit institutions to finally operate in our country, noted Mr. Mitsotakis.

He emphasized that the direction of the bill is twofold: on the one hand, it gives more freedom of choice to young people in schools that will compete with public schools, and on the other hand, it places Greece on the international educational map in the SE Mediterranean.

“The public university must finally unhook itself from the bureaucracy. 85% of the articles of the n/s are for the public university, it foresees funding up to 1.5 billion euros until 2027 in addition to the money paid annually which exceeds 1 billion. euros” said Mr. Mitsotakis and added that the planning strengthens the teaching staff with increases of up to 15% in their income.

Continuing, the prime minister noted that all the changes brought by the bill are tools for the universities to carry out their planning, to become autonomous, to be cut off from their tight embrace with the Ministry of Education, to be more effectively connected to the labor market, the degrees to have a real counterpart, to link research with the market and innovation.

These important changes that are underway have the acceptance of the vast majority of society, the Prime Minister emphasized, adding: “The days when some made a career shouting ‘companies out of universities’ are gone forever”.

“In another field, the university improves the methods of election, development and announcement of teaching staff positions. It also accelerates the all-important digital transformation of our Universities. And something very important, for the first time the inventory of the movable but primarily the immovable property of our universities is launched with a very strict schedule of 18 months”, said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

He also spoke of two more “iconic decisions» for the support of the public university and referred to elevation of the Democritus University to Metropolitan which takes, as he said, its place it deserves and because of its geostrategic importance among the leading academic institutions of the country. And the second is as said by dynamic modernization of the Open University30 years after its establishment for the country to acquire a dynamic pillar for lifelong learning, distance education and training of citizens who want to enrich their knowledge.

“The times when some people made a career out of shouting ‘companies out of Universities are gone forever’. Universities are here to provide specialized knowledge and connect that knowledge to the labor market,” he stressed.

Referring to non-state universities, stressed that the bill has eseeking to stop thousands of Greek children from leaving the borders and spending precious resources outside of Greece. In addition, it aims to invest in Greece organizations that with expertise will help in the development of education.

“Let’s not hide behind our finger. Today more than 40,000 Greeks study abroad. The positive aspects of the bill are many and obvious. However, this initiative is also besieged by myths that rush to embrace voices from the opposition,” the prime minister said, referring to DAP’s plans years ago to establish non-state universities.

Responding to criticism of the quality of studies in non-state institutions, he reiterated that the bill establishes the strictest conditions and guarantees in Europe and added that it is right to separate quality institutions from unreliable entities that want to opportunistically jump into the field of education.

Regarding the level of students who will study in them, he said that they will not be worse students since there will be a minimum admission basis.

He even added that it is a contradiction that those who voted against the minimum admission base remembered the abilities of the candidates.

As a basis for the argument about the unconstitutionality of the bill, the constitutionalist Antonis Manitakis was cited saying: “Arguments about unconstitutionality remain without object, they remain hollow. Anyone who wants to close their eyes to the truth will stay on their own dogmatic planet.”