On Thursday, January 11, Greek students and teachers’ unions and university workers organized a massive rally in Athens, protesting the conservative New Democracy (ND) government’s plans to establish private universities in the country.
Students’ associations and groups, including Panspoudastiki KS and Students’ Struggle Front (MAS), called for the occupation of the universities and demanded that the Kyriakos Mitsotakis-led government withdraw the bill introduced to allow the establishment of private universities. The Communist Youth of Greece (KNE), Communist Party of Greece (KKE), and the trade union All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) expressed solidarity with the students’ protests.
According to reports, along with the mobilization at the Syntagma Square in Athens on Thursday, rallies were also held in a number of other cities across the country. On January 12, a grand assembly was also held in Alexandroupolis denouncing the bill.
In Greece, the formation of universities by private individuals is forbidden by Article 16 of the constitution. The Greek minister of education Kyriakos Pierrakakis is trying to circumvent Article 16 through a bill that makes use of a 2020 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union which provides for overcoming the ban.
Critics of the move have alleged that the entry of private universities will lead to a two-tier system in higher education. They argue that private universities will be unaffordable and inaccessible for students from lower-income households, and will downgrade the merit and value of the degrees offered by public institutions.
A joint statement signed by more than 100 student groups from across Greece has demanded that, among other things, the government withdraw the bill and safeguard Article 16, ensure universal quality education, safeguard degrees with value for work with rights, increase state funding for public education, abolish tuition fees and offer free postgraduate courses for all.
On Thursday, the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) stated that “Injustice will not become law! Exclusively public and truly free education is a right! This is the message sent today, with their grand rallies, by thousands of students across the country, giving the first, massive response to the anti-education bills that the government is preparing to bring to Parliament in the coming days.”
“Faced with this reactionary change by the government, which faithfully follows the policy of the EU and the work of all previous governments, and which adds to the unbearable cost and the constant degradation of education, with the logic that “if you have money, you study,” the just struggle of students is more necessary than ever. The thousands mobilized today are the voice of the vast majority of young people who want modern schools and universities, exclusively public and truly free, with adequate state funding, degrees with value for work with rights,” the KNE added.
Earlier, a controversial move by the ND government to place police garrisons inside the campuses to increase surveillance had also led to widespread protests from the students and civil society.
