About a year ago, Parliament passed a law on universities. These days, a new "Bill on Universities" was put out for public consultation, with the aim of upgrading universities. Of course, the problem is not the existence of laws but their implementation. And the party-political system knows this above all. It knows it, but behaves as if it did not.

The reaction to upgrading universities continues. Some rectors stand with the chaos. Some prosecutors do not bring the required charges. In other words, those responsible are not doing their duty. They do not fulfill their institutional role; they do not enforce the laws. For that, they are responsible for their acts and omissions.

In particular, the primary responsibility lies with the academics (rectors and little professors), who should have been protecting the university and caring for its upgrading for years. But they are children of the leftist system, that is, of mediocrity. They managed to exploit the leftist system and rose to professorial positions and university administrations.

Historically, the decline of universities began after the restoration of democracy. And everyone knows it. Thus, from universities of quality we reached universities of mediocrity.

The left is responsible for the downgrade of universities. Of course, the left proclaims that it cares about public education. And some naive people have been convinced. But reality is shouting. The left cares about the dismantling of education, about creating an uneducated scientific proletariat, disappointed and angry, ready to turn against the system. If Greek society does not understand this, an upgrade in education will be hard to achieve.

The entire left does not want distinction and excellence. It wants equality downward. Have we forgotten that the first education minister of SYRIZA, Mr. Baltas, a professor at the Polytechnic, used to say that "excellence is a stigma"?

Greece has many universities. Perhaps, relative to its population, it has the most in the world. This is proven by the fact that almost everyone who graduates from high school enters university. In other words, everyone and their brother ends up in Saint Panteleimon.

This does not happen in any other country in the world. Therefore, it must stop. And it will stop when roughly half of the unnecessary university departments and schools are closed. Let us remember that the troika had applied pressure and the government of the day created the "Athena" plan, which provided for the closure of one third of schools and departments. But, being clever little tricksters, we fooled the stupid Europeans. We say that half of the departments and schools need to be closed.

Why does the left want the abolition of the "Minimum Admission Base" for universities? Because it cannot understand that the quantity of education (admitting candidates with grades of 2, 3, 5) is against quality?

The left, from time to time, in trying to cover up the downgrade of universities, points to distinguished people who graduated from Greek universities. That is true.

But can it tell us how many more Greeks would distinguish themselves if universities were functioning properly? Can it tell us where Greek universities would stand in the global rankings if they did not support the rioters? Can it imagine Greek universities in the top positions globally, precisely because there is human capital that can work miracles? Can it support the free circulation of ideas, teaching, and research, rather than the sanctuary of the rioters?

For the past two weeks, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, anarcho-fascists have been clashing with the police because they oppose the construction of a library. Admire SYRIZA's hypocrisy: it says it wants the library, but dares not condemn the anarcho-fascists. That is why it keeps recycling the left's fairy tale: they are provocateurs!

Reality sweeps away obsolete fossils and leftovers. It demolishes totalitarian ideologies. Therefore, the path from mediocrity to quality in universities is a one-way road, despite the wishes and reactions of the left. Fortunately.

Paulos Marantos

marantosp@gmail.com