A responsible stance on asylum
It sounds funny, but many were surprised to hear the remarks made by the head of the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE), Yiannis Panagopoulos, on the bankrupt institutional framework of the university asylum legislation. The general public’s surprise was a natural reaction as common sense has all but disappeared from public discourse. People were surprised to hear Panagopoulos defend the interests of those he represents, given that the damage caused to public educational buildings during sit-ins are covered by taxpayer money. People were surprised because Panagopoulos did not defend anachronistic ideas that aim to legitimize the illegal activity of fringe groups that limit the free exchange of ideas at university campuses – a right that the asylum law is meant to safeguard. The GSEE president gave voice to the public’s sentiment, something that this newspaper has never tired of emphasizing: Greece’s education system is being held hostage by frantic minorities that use democracy as an excuse to promote inaction or their own private interests. We all pay the price – especially workers.
