Students in Greece protest plans to introduce private universities

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Several thousand university students and their supporters took part in a protest in central Athens Thursday to oppose plans by Greece‘s conservative government to allow privately run universities. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government is pushing through several key pieces of legislation early in the new year, taking advantage of a landslide reelection in 2023, and a huge lead in opinion polls. The government argues the measure would stop thousands of Greeks going abroad each year to study, and would keep vital skills in the country. But opponents say it would undermine public universities which are already facing funding difficulties.