Greece reports 2026 university seat shortfall and approves €4 billion defence package

The Greek Ministry of Education announced that for the 2026 university entrance examinations, 9,739 of the 62,329 available seats will remain vacant, representing a 15.6 % shortfall. Nearly 10,000 positions across Greek universities are expected to go unfilled. While most departments see modest enrollment, some see dramatic increases, such as the Mechanical Engineering program at the Serres Polytechnic, which added 2,450 places. Conversely, a handful of departments received only a few admissions, for example the Department of Theological Studies in Athens, which filled just one seat.

In a separate decision, the government approved a defence procurement programme valued at more than €4 billion, centred on the "Shield of Achilles" system. The package includes a network‑centric anti‑air, anti‑drone and anti‑missile system, three C‑390 Millennium transport aircraft, ten VICTA underwater vehicles, new drones, micro‑satellites, and other advanced weapons. The system is slated to become fully operational in roughly 35 months, with strong emphasis on Greek industrial participation and collaborations with Israeli firms.