Today parliament is voting on the bill on non-state universities. Starting in the morning, hundreds of students gathered at Propylaea with slogans against this bill. Large police forces have been deployed in central Athens to quell protests.
Against the adoption of a bill called “Strengthening the state university – a framework for the work of non-profit branches of foreign universities”the vote on which is due to take place today, Friday, March 8, includes 195 student associations that participate in the rally and demand the withdrawal of the bill, which provides, in particular, for the creation of branches of foreign universities in our country.
“Everyone to the national student rally on Friday, March 8, the day the bill was adopted, at 12.00 at the Propylaea! Let Athens drown,” – this is the main call of student associations. On the students’ side will be the Federation of University Students, POSSDEP, which unanimously calls for the mobilization of the sector, as well as the Federation of Administrative Personnel in Higher Education (ODPTE). Both of them announced a strike today.
The center of Athens was closed today from 11-30 to 2 pm, as there will be a double mobilization of OLME: a work stoppage in connection with International Women’s Day, and a rally in Klafmonos Square against the adoption of the bill on non-state universities.
In addition, the Athens Labor Center and ADEDY announced a four-hour work stoppage from 11:00 to 15:00. During it, trade unions will support a national student rally at the Propylaea. POSEEEPEA (Panella Federation of Special Education Workers’ Associations) will also take part in the rally. At the same time, the occupation of faculties and departments has been going on for the 9th week, and an escalation of mobilization is expected.
Pierrakakis: the license will be taken away if they do not comply with the law. Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis spoke about the bill on the creation of non-state universities, the reaction of the opposition and students continuing the occupation, in a detailed news release from ERTNews and Georgios Kouvaras:
“As I already said, the law consists of 205 articles. Of these, 176 are, in principle, state universities, and in them, in my opinion, there is no reason for differences. I emphasized this at the plenary session of parliament, so let’s see what happens with these articles. Some parties have already spoken about this, and I want to highlight the position of Ms. Konstantopoulou, who very characteristically stated that there are parts of the bill that she will vote for in accordance with her ideological predilections, and others that she will vote against.
The Minister of Education emphasized regarding the creation of branches of foreign universities: “Only we and Cuba deny the existence of commercial universities. (…) There have been many discussions on this issue, and in the next 24 hours, even from dissenting parties, ideas and proposals will come that will be included in the bill and in 205 articles. We are ready to listen any suggestions, no matter where they come from.
The House Scientific Service solemnly refutes what the opposition parties have told us about the issue of unconstitutionality, saying that there are two ways to think about the Constitution and they are repeating what we have been repeating, that everything will ultimately be decided by the judiciary. We believe this is a solid constitutional step.”
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