Until recently, the police was not allowed to enter university property even if they were in the middle of chasing down criminal offenders. Exceptions were only granted after a series of bureaucratic measures.

Greece was the only country in the world featuring such a law. It was created after the fall of the Greek military regime in 1974 and was meant to protect individuals from prosecution for political reasons.

Between 1967 and 1974 Greece was governed by a military junta led by Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos. On the 17th November 1973, Papadopoulos sent security forces including a tank to crush a student uprising at the National Technical University of Athens killing 24 protestors.

No asylum, no austerity

In the past months, however, criminals had repeatedly taken advantage of this law during the protests against the Greek austerity measures, Greek officials stated.

Giorgos Papandreou, Greek's Prime Minister from the Socialist Party, therefore agreed with the conservative opposition party to abolish the law. It was the first time in 35 years that they agreed on voting together.

The austerity measures, by contrast, are continuously opposed by the Conservatives despite calls from the European Union to show political unity in times of financial turmoil and the Greek debt crisis.