Greek Government Defends Deputy Minister Makarios Lazaridis Amid Degree Controversy

The Greek government is defending Deputy Minister of Rural Development Makarios Lazaridis against opposition demands for his resignation, after he publicly admitted that his 2007 appointment as a Special Scientist at the Ministry of Education was made despite his not holding a recognized university degree. Lazaridis, a close associate of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, acknowledged on Open TV on April 14, 2026, that the qualification he presented for that position was a diploma from the College of Southeastern Europe, which he himself described as a "center of liberal studies" rather than a higher educational institution. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis responded by stating there is "no issue" regarding Lazaridis's continued presence in the government, insisting that Lazaridis "did not submit a false or forged degree." The opposition party PASOK has called for his immediate dismissal, describing the appointment as a "personal favor" from Mitsotakis.

Unrecognized diploma at the center of the storm The College of Southeastern Europe, from which Lazaridis holds his degree, reportedly operated without a license from the Ministry of Education to award academic degrees and was not even authorized to issue certificates of attendance, according to reporting published last summer. The institution later operated under the name American University of Athens and has faced a lawsuit from eight students who allege they were misled into paying significant tuition fees in exchange for degrees they were told would be equivalent to those of Greek universities. Lazaridis defended the institution on air, saying "in these colleges, those who are shouting wouldn't even have made it through the first semester," and claimed that graduates had gone on to complete postgraduate studies abroad. His own degree, described as a Bachelor of Arts, does not specify a field of specialization on its face, according to reporting by in.gr. A second public sector appointment, made five years after the 2007 posting and also requiring a university degree, was reportedly covered by the same college diploma, adding a further dimension to the controversy. 8 (students) — filed lawsuit against college's operating companies

Lazaridis invokes a legal "loophole" from 2007 Lazaridis argued in his television appearance that the legal framework in 2007 was "relaxed" for so-called revocable political appointees, and that a recognized university degree was not strictly required for such positions. "In 2007 you could work as a revocable employee even with a certificate of studies," he said, adding that "such strict inspection of formal qualifications was not required." When asked whether he was hired under the provisions of Law 2190/1994, which defined minimum qualifications for the Special Scientist role as a university degree, doctoral degree, or master's title, Lazaridis replied that he "does not remember" and that "it does not matter." He also displayed his insurance history from the Greek social security authority, claiming and an additional 4,000 from non-salaried employment. New Democracy MP Stelios Petsas distanced himself from the deputy minister, calling the communication handling a failure and urging the Ministry of Education to clarify the exact procedure followed in 2007. „He did not submit a false or forged degree. He could have been an associate of the then-minister with or without this degree.” — Pavlos Marinakis via Blue Sky

The controversy touches on a longstanding tension in Greek public administration between formal qualification requirements and the discretionary powers of ministers to appoint political staff. The 2007 appointment was made under the government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, with Marietta Giannakou serving as Minister of Education at the time. Giannakou, a New Democracy politician, died on February 27, 2022. The Mitsotakis government, which took office in July 2019, has repeatedly promoted a platform of meritocracy and excellence in public appointments, making the Lazaridis case politically sensitive for the ruling party.

PASOK presses Mitsotakis directly over "depravity" PASOK escalated its attack on April 14, framing the controversy not merely as an administrative irregularity but as evidence of systemic favoritism at the highest level of government. The party stated that "six hours have passed since the confession-interview of Makarios Lazaridis and the Prime Minister is keeping him in his position — obviously, because Mr. Lazaridis is keeping him." PASOK accused Lazaridis of having appeared in the Government Gazette at the highest salary grade for a Special Scientist despite lacking the qualifications for the role, and of publicly claiming to be a graduate of a public university. „Decadence, corruption, and lack of meritocracy are now concepts synonymous with the Mitsotakis governance.” — PASOK via I Kathimerini Marinakis dismissed the opposition's campaign as the work of an "opposition of despair" that "cannot produce policy themselves," and argued that the matter dated back 19 years, placing it beyond the reach of criminal investigation. New Democracy spokesperson Alexandra Sdoukou addressed the issue only obliquely, noting that holding a parliamentary or ministerial position does not legally require a university degree — a point critics noted was beside the point of the controversy. Marinakis closed by deferring to public opinion, saying "let society judge Mr. Lazaridis and every Mr. Lazaridis," a formulation that drew comparisons in Greek media to the political communication style of former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis.