Protests across Greece and Denmark

Demonstration against rising housing costs and underfunded education, in solidarity with students in France and Spain, in Athens, Greece, on October 21
Photo: Reuters

Greek youth take inspiration from France in protests over living conditions and deteriorating public education, Le Monde notes.

"From Greece to France, we are fighting for public and free education," chanted demonstrators in 50 Greek cities on Wednesday, October 21. Some 20,000 turned out, according to police, to protest the decline of public education and the lack of resources allocated to young people. Protesters carried banners with slogans in French such as "Study or survive?" and "The world is ours." These references reflect Greek youths' desire to see their movement as part of a broader wave of protest across Europe, as well as a shared anxiety over the cost of studies and the decline of public services.

"The government is not investing in our universities, the infrastructure is deteriorating, and student support is practically non-existent," said Tasos Mertzianidis, a philosophy student. "Students are forced to pay exorbitant rents. Those who cannot afford it are forced to drop out."

The housing crisis has become one of the main sources of financial instability for young Greeks. According to real estate consultancy Geoaxis, rents increased by more than 115% in Athens and by over 93% in Thessaloniki over the past 10 years. In a country where the minimum wage has stood at €920 per month since April, despite successive increases since the financial crisis, housing costs remain a heavy burden.

Students have called for measures such as free university textbooks, a monthly housing allowance of €500 and rent caps. "We are picking up where the impressive student and school protests in several European countries, especially France, left off," said Mertzianidis, who also condemned "millions spent on weapons while society is suffering."

Secondary school pupils and teachers have also denounced staff shortages, a lack of facilities and the worrying state of many school buildings. According to OLME, the main union representing secondary school teachers, around 15,000 teaching positions are vacant across the country.

In Athens, a major school complex has been closed for two weeks following a gas leak alert. Other incidents, including roof collapses reported at schools in Korydallos, Lamia and Thessaloniki, have fueled concerns about building safety.

In 2023, Greece spent only 3.3% of its GDP on public education, compared to an average of 4.7% in the European Union, according to Eurostat. "With the economic recovery and growth above 2% in recent years, the government could have invested more in public education, but instead, private universities have been authorized and the private education sector keeps gaining ground," said Laliotis. In 2024, the Greek Parliament passed a law allowing branches of foreign universities to open campuses in Greece.

Health minister Adonis Georgiadis also took to the social network to denounce "a mix of immigrants from different generations with their far-left allies." "It takes very little for a country to collapse," he added, just months ahead of parliamentary elections in Greece. George Sefertzis, a political communications expert, told HuffPost Greece that the country is not immune: "Greece is no exception. The anger that erupted in France could reach Athens."

Danish police strike protesters as anti-immigration march in Copenhagen erupts into chaos

Photo: Video Viory

Danish police wielded batons as violent clashes erupted during an anti-immigration demonstration in Copenhagen.

Footage shows officers confronting protesters, pushing back crowds and striking demonstrators with batons as tensions boiled over on the streets of the Danish capital.

The demonstration, called 'Our Denmark', was organised by nationalist activists opposing immigration and what they describe as the 'Islamisation of Denmark'. Organisers also presented the march as a show of support for Danish culture and national identity.

The clashes unfolded against a backdrop of fierce debate over immigration in Denmark.

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs