Will Hungarian universities regain their independence?

Viktor Orbán has eroded the rule of law in Hungary to such an extent that the country was even penalised by the European Union. In December 2022, the EU froze billions in funding for Hungary unless it took serious steps to combat corruption and strengthen the rule of law.

Now, the opposition party Tisza has won the elections, promising to do just that. The upcoming Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, may secure a two-thirds majority in parliament, enabling him not only to be the prime minister but even to reverse Orbán’s interventions in higher education.

Sanctions against universities
That is good news for the country’s educational institutions. Since 2022, 21 Hungarian universities have been cut off from European funding. They cannot apply for Horizon research grants or receive money for Erasmus+ exchanges.

This is partly the result of a system introduced by Orbán in 2019, which privatised universities and placed his political cronies on the Executive Boards. Since then, they have been making key appointments and deciding where the money goes. 

According to the Hungarian political scientist Miklós Sükösd, who is affiliated with the University of Copenhagen, Magyar did not say anything about restoring universities' independence during his campaign. Sükösd explains that Magyar's victory was based on other promises. “Alongside democracy and corruption, his victory can be attributed to traditional social issues, such as healthcare and pensions. Education played a role, too, but it was mostly about primary and secondary education.”

A few days after his landslide victory, Magyar mentioned higher education independence as one of his priorities. Magyar cited universities' autonomy as one of the four issues that must be resolved before the EU transfers the frozen funds to Hungary. This was Magyar’s first interview in a year and a half on state TV and radio. Magyar accused the presenters of having spread propaganda and lies on behalf of Viktor Orbán’s regime for years.

Media independence also needs to be restored, and the same goes for the Supreme Court and Hungary’s national budget adviser, who will still be able to veto how the new government allocates its funds.

The road back to Europe could be a very long one for Hungarian universities, believes Ferenc Laczo. A historian at Maastricht University, he also comes from Hungary. “In the meantime, the EU faces a dilemma: should it already be reaching out to a new, reform-minded government? Or should the EU continue to enforce the rules, given the burdensome legacy of Orbán’s Fidesz party?”

He hopes the EU will opt for trust, “so that Hungarian institutions can once again participate in Horizon and Erasmus+, while they are being reformed and regain their academic freedom”.

If Hungary reforms its institutions, European leaders will have to decide whether to lift the sanctions. It took them four years to reach a decision on this. Readmitting Hungary to European programmes will likely be less complicated.

Central European University
About ten years ago, Viktor Orbán also drove the Central European University, founded by George Soros and financed by his foundation, out of the country. Apart from a small site in Budapest, it is now mainly based in Austria. Laczo does not believe the university will simply return to Budapest now that Orbán is gone, though he hopes its Budapest branch will expand and help strengthen democracy.

Sükösd does not expect CEU to return to Hungary, either. “I’ve been pondering that over the past few days,” he says. “I was a teacher there for fourteen years. CEU has become a different university since then, much more focused on the West. I don’t believe they have any intention of returning. That is a great loss for Hungary.”