The PASOK party has launched a sharp political attack on Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki, calling for her immediate resignation following revelations that candidates at a vocational high school (EPAL) exam center sat the Modern Greek Language exam using the exact same questions given the day before to general high school (GEL) students.
A Breach of Exam Integrity
PASOK holds Zacharaki directly accountable, arguing the incident — which remained concealed for 38 days — severely undermines the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Greece’s national university entrance examinations. Citing Charilaos Trikoupis — a reference to PASOK’s parliamentary group — the party states the government’s chosen response does not safeguard the exams’ inviolability but rather insults the very principle itself.
Questions Over Fairness and Transparency
According to PASOK’s statement, the affected EPAL candidates were examined on material already used in the previous day’s exam — raising serious concerns about fairness and procedural transparency. The party underscores that the incident was hidden for 38 days, accusing the minister not only of poor political management but of an active effort to cover it up.
Controversial Grading Decision
Particularly contentious is the decision by the Central Examination Committee to award full marks (100/100) to all written responses from students who sat the compromised exam. PASOK calls this move “outrageous”, arguing it represents an administrative fix that fails to address the breach — instead creating new injustices toward the thousands of other candidates who sat the exams under proper conditions.
The party notes that while the grading decision was formally made by the Central Examination Committee, it was taken “evidently with the knowledge and explicit consent of the political leadership”. It points to the Deputy Minister of Education’s response in Parliament as clear evidence that senior officials were aware of the situation well before it became public.
No Shield in Administrative Inquiry
PASOK also rejects as insufficient the Emergency Administrative Investigation (EDE) ordered after the scandal broke. It argues the political leadership cannot hide behind an inquiry initiated hastily only after the issue gained political traction. “She cannot hide behind an EDE ordered in haste following the public and political exposure of the incident,” the statement reads, stressing that the minister’s responsibility is “obvious, self-evident, and grave”.
“Resignation Is the Only Way Forward”
The announcement concludes with a direct demand: “Ms. Zacharaki cannot remain in office. Her resignation is the only way forward.”