PASOK leader to request party discipline on private universities
The decision by socialist PASOK head Nikos Androulakis on Tuesday to make the party’s members of parliament vote against a bill allowing for the operation of private universities in Greece has stirred tensions among party lawmakers.
Androulakis said that PASOK has always maintained a positive attitude towards the founding of non-state, non-profit universities but only through the revision of Article 16 of the constitution and not through the government bill that bypasses the law.
During a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group Androulakis announced that he “will not a allow a rift in voting.”
“PASOK wants strong public sector universities, but also strong non-state, non-profit universities, as well as major reforms concerning post-high school education. Mr. [Prime Minister Kyriakos] Mitsotakis is aided by the absence of a counter-proposal. We, however, have a complete proposal concerning both an upright operating framework in regards to non-state, non-profit universities, and for the strengthening of public universities,” he said.
He criticized the government’s draft legislation, saying that it would allow for the establishment of for-profit foreign university branches, but not the establishment of Greek non-profit universities.
“It cannot be allowed that, for two years now, some people have been buying and investing [in the sector], and then a bill comes tailor made to their investments. Isn’t this an arrangement?” Androulakis said.
