The Ministry of Education’s bill on Greek language education and intercultural education was approved by the Parliament in Athens on Wednesday evening.

The bill was supported by SYRIZA and the Independent Greeks, while New Democracy and Golden Dawn voted against. The Communist Party, the Democratic Alliance and the Union of Centrists voted present. The Communist Party however supported a provision regulating labor matters in private education.

Education Minister Nikos Filis commented that voting ‘present’ is an important step towards a consensus and argued that New Democracy’s rejection of the bill reflects its ‘identity crisis’.