Editorial Ta Nea: Reforms must be implemented swiftly

In the past, summer has been treated as a political hiatus.

This summer, however, is different in all respects.

Among its many obligations, this year the government has a duty to push forward reforms that require immediate attention, especially those that are part of its broader agenda for the country’s future.

It has commenced this process by tabling a tertiary education framework law, which is designed to resolve a series of diachronic problems that are still keeping our universities mired in the past.

This is not the first time that a restructuring of Greek universities is being attempted. Many necessary reforms have been discussed in the past and a number of them have been passed into law by Parliament without being implemented.
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The current reforms aim to advance a decentralisation of authority in Greek universities and to give them more control over their affairs.

From cooperation with top American universities to the introduction of a unified ballot for all university student [usually party-based] groupings to elect their representatives, this bill can serve as the first step toward a new era in tertiary education.

The fact that reforms are necessary does not mean they will not trigger a backlash, especially when universities are involved.

Rarely do reforms garner universal approval or a broad consensus among opposition parties.

The significance of reforms, however, is measured later, when society can judge their results.

The voices of those who want to preserve the status quo in every area should not discourage the government, which from the very beginning made clear its reformist outlook, but was hindered by the obstacles created by the pandemic.