A national association representing state-recognized non-state tertiary institutions in Greece has accused higher-education authorities in the country of a lack of transparency, following a Council of State’s (CoS) decision to suspend the operating licenses of three private universities.
The development has escalated a dispute over the country’s new system for licensing non-state higher education institutions.
The group has directly criticized the leadership of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) and the education ministry, calling for the resignation of those involved and warning that the licensing issue will continue before the courts.
The Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court, has already ruled that the legislation allowing non-state universities to operate is constitutional, while subsequent decisions have examined the conditions imposed on foreign university branches wishing to operate in the country, including financial guarantees and application fees.
The association said it had repeatedly raised concerns over what it described as “opaque points” and a lack of transparency in the licensing process over the past 18 months. It said it had sent legal notices to the ministry, HAHE and the National Organization for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance in June and August 2025, including a request for the publication of licensing application files.
It also criticized HAHE President Pericles Mitkas, arguing that his public statements had understated the seriousness of the concerns and describing the latest court ruling as a serious blow to his leadership.
Greece’s non-state university liberalization was billed as a major reform to the country’s higher-education system, with the first four private institutions licensed in 2025. The Mitsotakis government has presented the reform as expanding educational options and introducing greater competition, while the licensing process has remained politically and legally contentious.
The association said the recently announced licensing decisions for a new group of non-state university institutions could prove equally, or even more, controversial than those challenged before the CoS, signaling further legal challenges over the reform.
