Greek Parliament Ratifies Lisbon Recognition Convention

The Greek Parliament ratified the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning higher education in the European Region, commonly known as the “Lisbon Recognition Convention,” by majority vote yesterday.

The ratification was supported by the ruling New Democracy party and PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL), while all other parties opposed it.

Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis addressed opposition criticisms, accusing them of being “out of touch” and relying on “fake news” and “obsolete buzzwords.” He highlighted that 46 out of 47 Council of Europe members and an additional 10 non-members have ratified the convention.

Responding to concerns that the convention would recognise courses from private universities, Pierrakakis clarified that the law explicitly applies to foreign nationals studying in foreign languages. He emphasised that there is a specific reservation regarding foreign colleges and universities in Greece. He also dismissed fears that three-year degrees would be equated with five-year degrees from Greek state universities.

Pierrakakis noted that this ratification resolves the last legislative issue related to the Lisbon convention. He criticized the opposition for using outdated arguments and urged them to support OECD’s PISA examinations, which measure substantial educational outcomes.

The minister reaffirmed that the state university remains the cornerstone of Greek higher education, with funding for operational costs increased by 50% since 2018. This funding boost came from a Recovery Fund, with state university administrators and the academic community actively contributing to policy development through DOATAP, the state agency for validating foreign degrees.