In 1980, just two years after the creation of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Spain had 23 public universities and only 4 private ones. Eighteen years later, with the opening of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (1998), the balance of power had changed radically: 50 public universities and 18 private ones. Today, almost half a century later, the landscape has reversed even further. There are 50 public universities and 42 private ones in Spain, and private initiatives threaten to equal—or even surpass—the public offerings.

The Balearic Cultural Association (OCB) has submitted a proposal of amendments to the proposed law creating the University of Mallorca, with the aim of aligning it with the Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands and the islands' own linguistic legal framework. The organization demands that the text fully guarantee the linguistic rights of professors and students and that the new university promote and normalize the use of Catalan in all areas of higher education. Furthermore, the OCB considers the name 'University of Mallorca' inappropriate and legally problematic, as it could lead to the misconception that it is a public institution and may generate confusion with historical precedents such as the Lullian University. Therefore, it proposes replacing the name with an alternative such as 'Private University of Mallorca'.

The People's Party (PP) registered a bill on Wednesday to create a new private university, promoted by ADEMA, to be called the University of Mallorca. The party requested its urgent processing, arguing that the educational needs of students in the Balearic Islands must be addressed as soon as possible. The PP stated that this procedure follows up on the request submitted to the Balearic Islands Government's Ministry of Education and Universities, which initiated a process that was then transferred to the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport. The Ministry has already issued the required report necessary to move the process forward. "We support the development of new university projects with the aim of expanding the higher education options in the Islands," the party stated. "It is necessary to offer more academic options to students in the Balearic Islands and thus make it easier for young people to pursue their university studies without having to leave the Autonomous Community," they added. "This helps to reduce the impact of costs stemming from the island factor and encourages young talent to train and settle in the Islands," the PP points out.