Education bill to boost government reform profile

The Education Ministry's bill on higher education was introduced in the competent Parliament committee on Tuesday and is expected to be passed on March 1. It will be the government's final signature measure before the formal run-up to the European elections begins, and the goal of the bill is to demonstrate that ruling New Democracy is the only reforming force in the country.

The fact that socialist PASOK ultimately decided to vote against the bill essentially means, according to government sources, that New Democracy is the only party that brings reforms to the country against the entire opposition. Hence, it has the right to bill itself as the single "reformist party" against a "regression bloc." PASOK will play an important part in this argument. "If we expected SYRIZA to vote against, the same is not true for [PASOK leader Nikos] Androulakis," said a government source,...