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PASOK on Private Universities: Pierrakis's Law Collapses, Government Exposed
🇬🇷 Greece

PASOK on Private Universities: Pierrakis's Law Collapses, Government Exposed

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • PASOK criticizes the Greek government, stating its law on private universities is collapsing after a court annulled operating licenses for three foreign university branches.
  • The party highlights previous concerns about the law, including inadequate parent university involvement and facility standards.
  • PASOK argues that while the court's decision is significant, it leaves hundreds of students and their families facing an uncertain future after paying tuition fees.

The opposition PASOK party has strongly criticized the Greek government, asserting that its law on private universities is collapsing following a Supreme Administrative Court decision. The court annulled the operating licenses and study programs for three branches of foreign universities, leaving the government "exposed."

The law of Pierrakis is collapsing – the government is exposed.

— PASOKPASOK's assessment of the government's higher education law following the court's decision.

PASOK's relevant sector head, Stefanos Parastatidis, described the development as a major event. He reiterated the party's earlier concerns, which included questions about the degree of involvement of the parent universities and the risk of certain colleges being elevated to university status through the law. PASOK had previously raised issues regarding unproven participation of parent universities in fees, guarantees, capital, and administration, as well as inadequate facilities and licenses granted without meeting necessary conditions.

This development constitutes an event of major significance and leaves the government exposed.

— Stefanos ParastatidisPASOK's statement on the court's annulment of university licenses.

The court's decision reportedly stemmed from issues with building facilities, the participation of potentially biased individuals in the evaluation process, and insufficient quantitative and qualitative criteria in the study programs. The full reasoning behind the annulments is pending the official publication of the court's decisions.

The academic year will not be lost for any student.

— Ministry of EducationThe Ministry of Education's statement regarding the court's decisions.

PASOK characterized the government's policy as a "fast-track commercialization of higher education" implemented through flawed legislation, now resulting in an unprecedented "fiasco." The party emphasized that the situation cannot be considered a victory when hundreds of students and their families have paid tuition fees, begun their studies, and now see their future prospects collapsing. PASOK called on the government to fully accept its significant responsibilities.

The government's political choice for the fast-track commercialization of higher education was implemented with legislative missteps and is now unfolding into an unprecedented fiasco.

— PASOK-Movement for ChangePASOK's critique of the government's higher education policy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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