Theodoros Fortsakis

Greek universities suffer from "violent minorities and extra-university groups," while "cheating is rampant in exams", says New Democracy deputy, and former University of Athens rector, Theodoros Fortsakis.

Greek universities suffer from "violent minorities and extra-university groups", while "cheating is rampant in exams", says New Democracy deputy, and former University of Athens rector, Theodoros Fortsakis.

Pressure mounted for a solution to be found to end a sit-in at the administrative headquarters of Athens University as the occupation entered its 16th day Tuesday.

In an apparent bid to broaden their appeal, conservative New Democracy and main leftist opposition SYRIZA have both largely opted for candidates from outside the party fold for their state lists ahead of the elections.

Candidates on the list do not compete for votes in the polls but are elected based on the share of the vote the party receives.

Political parties started announcing the candidates for their state lists on Monday as campaigning heats up ahead of snap polls on January 25.

Two of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras?s closest advisers, Chrysanthos Lazaridis and Stavros Papastavros, will not be included on the party?s state list of candidates for the January 25 elections, Kathimerini understands.

Candidates on the state list do not compete for votes in the elections but are elected based on the share of the vote the party receives.

Greece's main political parties on Friday began unveiling their candidate lists for the January 25 elections, with some of the nominations causing friction between governing coalition partners New Democracy and PASOK as well within the ranks of leftist opposition SYRIZA.

Athens University, Greece’s biggest educational institution, may run out of funds to operate next year, its rector, Theodoros Fortsakis, told a press conference on Monday.

There was another day of tension at Greek universities on Tuesday, with a senior academic resigning in Thessaloniki and students disrupting a senate meeting in the northern city.

Athens University rector Theodoros Fortsakis sought to appease anger among students following his controversial proposal that student unions use online voting to decide whether or not to hold sit-ins at university faculties, saying that the decision should be that of the students themselves.

“We didn’t say that we don’t want student unions,” Fortsakis said.