Thousands of people demonstrated this Thursday in front of the Madrid Assembly to defend the public university and demand more resources after a turbulent week marked by the confrontation between the rectors of the six public universities and the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The entities adhering to the call, including ‘Uni on the street’, CCOO, UGT and the Central Student Delegation, have called the protest coinciding with the debate on the amendments to all of the regional budgets for 2025.
The statement issued by the organizers denounces the “continuous economic strangulation” of Madrid’s public universities by the regional authorities and demands adequate financing, lower university fees, sufficient public scholarship policies and decent working conditions for staff. .
The protesters have chanted slogans against the privatization of the university system and the campaign to discredit the public university. “It’s not a business, it’s our rights”, “businesses outside the university or “whoever governs governs, the uni defends itself”. After more than an hour in which a continuous flow of people has been arriving, the police forces have been forced to cut Pablo Neruda Avenue in one direction of the march.
The initial spark that ignited the spirit of the university community was the “insufficient” offer from the Ayuso Government after the letter sent by the rectors to the Ayuso Executive, in which they requested an injection of 45 million to guarantee the minimum survival of the universities. although they acknowledged that, according to their calculations, they need an extra 200 million euros to guarantee the proper functioning of the centers. In the document, they stated that the current financing model does not cover “the minimum needs” and endangers the quality of teaching and the stability of teaching staff.
Students, teachers and citizens attended today’s demonstration. The banners and chants of those gathered, apart from defending the public university, were aimed at calling for the resignation of the president of the Community of Madrid: “Ayuso resign” and “Ayuso resign, the uni does not admit you”, They have been some of the most listened to.
Alba, a UCM student, has asked the regional Executive to take advantage of the resources it has offered from the central Government and to make a definitive commitment to the universality of education and asks it to “stop privatizing universities.” Guadalupe, a resident of Lavapiés, asked citizens to get involved because “the education of our young people is the future of Madrid.”
The university financing model, in a community where public education does not stop growing to the detriment of private education, according to the latest CYD report, and the role of public institutions in equal opportunities have been the issues most mentioned by the spokespersons this Thursday morning. All eyes are on the response of the regional government, which until now has not offered a solution that satisfies the demands of the universities or the academic community.
New confrontation between Ayuso and the central government
This same week, Pedro Sánchez’s Executive offered an emergency plan that included transfers of resources to, among other objectives, hire teachers. However, this proposal was initially rejected by the Ayuso Government, against the criteria of the rest of the autonomous communities. The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, described this position as “negligence that compromises the academic future of Madrid.” Furthermore, he assured that the public universities of the Community of Madrid are “doomed to disappear” and that the situation is “dramatic.”
Finally, Ayuso backed down and accepted help from the central government although he announced his intention to negotiate with the ministry. In a new offer to the universities, the Community of Madrid proposed a greater increase in funds than initially planned, although lower than what was requested by the rectors. This offer was described as insufficient by the universities, which insist that it does not guarantee their sustainability in the medium term.
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