Kyriakos Mitsotakis's “First Failure” for Non-Governmental Universities – New Student Rally

Students hit the streets for another day on Thursday to protest against the pending government bill to establish non-government universities.

In government, everything, as it turns out, does not develop according to a plan. That's because in the weekly Christmas post – an overview of government activities, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis set a clear timetable for the “primary bill”, which “will be put to consultation after the holidays” and “will become law in January”, paving the way for the amendment of Article 16, which is now 21 meets the conditions of the 19th century”.

Urgent Briefing Circular by the Minister of Education to the Senate of Institutions of Higher Education

But in practice, it has proven not easy to promote the bill to establish non-governmental universities, the coordination of student unions of Athens about the “first victory” “the month ends and the bill is not submitted!” .

In a growing wave of occupations, Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis issued an urgent briefing circular to the senates of higher education institutions urging that “exams can be held digitally in HEIs” and requesting an extraordinary meeting of rectors' synod on Monday. , January 29, through telephonic communication regarding the conduct of educational process in universities.

Urgent inquiry into plagiarism in universities

With the developments “under way”, Antonis Eleftherianou, head of the First Instance Prosecutor's Office, ordered an urgent preliminary examination of professions in universities. A criminal investigation is directed in all directions to investigate the commission of acts by any officer prosecuted, such as obstruction of public service, unlawful violence and dereliction of duty.

The prosecuting officer will look at the liabilities of the squatters and any liabilities of other persons.

New big rally at Propylaia on Thursday, February 1 at 12 noon

This fact did not prevent the consolidation of the student unions of Athens, the student unions will hold a new big rally in the Propylaia on Thursday 1 February at 12 noon, and next week all the unions will hold a new round of general meetings. Decide on the continuation and expansion of their struggle with new mass mobilisations, occupations and actions.

“Government should not submit bill for private universities! What we want is an exclusive public and truly free university without exceptions and cutters, degrees worth working with rights”, they say, among others.

Dissatisfaction with DAP

The student wing of the New Democracy (DAP-NDFK) sent a letter to the Ministry of Education, Kyriakos Pierrakaki, “to put pressure on the rector's authorities and to resolve all possibilities” with the risk of failing the exam.

He complains that the images he sees in the General Assemblies “take us back many years”, “silencing, verbal and physical violence in many cases, vandalism, throwing objects and rigging under the norms and not putting an end to the illegal occupations as per the democratic norms.”.

“What is happening in the last few days is the responsibility of those who engage in anti-democratic activities and the administrations that tolerate such incidents in 2024,” he notes. The Ministry of Education should put pressure on the Rector's authorities and resolve all possibilities so that a) all illegal encroachments are stopped immediately and b) no exams are lost, even if it involves electronic exams.