At the same time he’s trying to keep out private universities – violating European Union laws – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Radical Left SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said there will be an international university created in Thessaloniki.

Tsipras, whose party is trying to reduce standards in education in universities, said the new school would have branches in six northern Greek cities as he continues to make a flurry of announcements and handouts with an election year looming in 2019.

He is unpopular around Thessaloniki which is in the province of Macedonia, after he made a deal to rename the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia and let residents there be called Macedonians and have a Macedonian language and culture.

During visits to Thessaloniki this year he had to be guarded by squadrons of riot police to ward off violent protesters furious over the giveaway of Macedonia’s name and also his government’s reneging on anti-austerity promises.

Tsipras said during a meeting with representatives of educational institutions that the new university will be created through a partnership of three technical colleges (those of Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace) and the already existing International University.

“It will be a predominantly outward looking university with courses conducted in foreign languages, and based on the important work already being done by the people at the four institutions it will comprise,” he said.