Elections to nominate members of the EKPA Council, as well as other universities, confirmed for the worse the reservations expressed by some of us regarding the provision of the Kerameo University Governance Act. Thus, we saw hard factions controlling the majority, initially of the six internal members of the Council, so that later it was possible to control the entire composition by electing all five external members. The Council also elects a rector who, according to the new law, will now have excessive and uncontrolled power.

In the past, party support played an important role in the election of the rector, as the votes of the student representatives, who, in fact, represented the parties, carried an increased weight. The meetings took place mostly outside the university. With the abolition of student voting in the election of the rector by the law of Diamantopoulos and the weakening of the influence of the party youth, conspiracies and deals were transferred to the universities. To be elected, the dean had to enlist the support of a large number of professors, which naturally gives rise to mutual obligations and demands.

The majority of the Council consists of external members, and the rector, and vice-rectors, and deans. The winning team becomes powerful.

However, the Diamantopoulos law provided for a pre-selection of candidates for rectors and a Council of 15 with strict supervisory powers, so the rector had no uncontrolled power. This separation of the Supervisory duties of the Council from the executive duties of the Rector meant that all interests were not concentrated under the control of the majority of the Council. In addition, the Council was larger and therefore more difficult to control, and its president was from outside members. None of this applies today. Most members of the Council, starting with 4 internal members, receive everything. And external members, and the rector, and vice-rectors, and deans. The winning team becomes powerful. That is why the methods described by “Kathimerini” in the sheet of Thursday 11/5 are of great interest. Of course, not all candidates behaved in the same way. There were candidates who followed ethical rules and candidates who didn’t.

Ms. Vaso Kinti is Professor of Philosophy at EKPA.