Greek MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI) has asked the European Commission to take a stand on the prosecution of academics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, arguing that the case reflects a broader crackdown on academic freedom and the militarisation of higher education in Greece. The MEP claims that the legal charges against the faculty union's board stem from their support for student protests over housing, and that the case marks the first application of Greece's new disciplinary framework for public servants (Law 5224/25), which he says uses EU drone regulations as a pretext to suppress dissent.
The written question, submitted on 6 July 2026, targets what Nikolaou-Alavanos describes as the transformation of universities into 'incubators for war research' through EU programmes such as the European Defence Fund, NATO's DIANA, and Horizon-funded dual-use research. He asks the Commission whether it condones the use of European Higher Education Area guidelines to promote business-oriented operations and war research while curbing protest and industrial action. The MEP also calls on the Commission to support the academic community's demand for an end to prosecutions of students, professors, and university workers.
The question contains no specific numerical targets or deadlines but frames the issue as a clash between academic freedom and EU defence research priorities. It implicitly challenges the Commission's stance on the balance between security research funding and civil liberties in academia. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal its view on the compatibility of Greek disciplinary measures with EU values and the extent to which it endorses the militarisation of university research. The question impacts stakeholders including Greek academics and students facing legal action, EU institutions funding defence research, the Greek government implementing the new law, and civil society groups concerned about academic freedom.